European Environment Agency's home page

Write to us

For the public:

For media and journalists:

Contact EEA staff

Contact the web team

FAQ

50 years of protecting Europe's environment: Today the European Union has the most environmentally friendly arsenal of rules in the world and has done more to tackle pressing ecological problems, such as climate change, than any other major power. But it has not always been like this. Caring for the environment did not feature in the Treaty of Rome, the document that gave birth to the modern day EU. Yet environmental problems were never far away. Europe’s love affair with the car was moving into top gear, industry was busy belching out pollutants and raw sewage was being pumped into our rivers and seas.
Located in Environmental topics › Policy instruments › Multimedia
Biodiversity – 10 messages for 2010.: Each message provides a short assessment focusing on a specific ecosystem or issue related to biodiversity in Europe.
Located in Publications
Biodiversity protection – beyond 2010: 2010 will be a major milestone for biodiversity policy both in the EU and globally. It will be the year of the full evaluation of the delivery to the EU Biodiversity Action Plan and as well the UN International Year for Biodiversity.
Located in Environmental topics › Biodiversity › Multimedia
Europe's environment — The fourth assessment: Located in Publications
Halting the loss of biodiversity by 2010 – Are we on target?: The European Union has set an objective to halt the loss of biodiversity by 2010. Europe is currently suffering from a steady loss of biodiversity, with profound consequences for the natural world and for human well-being. The main causes are changes in natural habitats and these, in turn, are due to intensive agricultural production systems, construction, quarrying, overexploitation of forests, oceans, rivers, lakes and soils, alien species invasions, pollution and — increasingly — global warming.
Located in Multimedia centre
Halting the loss of biodiversity by 2010: proposal for a first set of indicators to monitor progress in Europe: Located in Publications
Halting the loss of Europe's biodiversity by 2010: 42% of Europe’s native mammals are threatened with extinction, 43% of birds, 45% of butterflies, 52% of freshwater fish. The list goes on and makes terrifying reading. Worldwide, the loss of species is even more alarming.
Located in Environmental topics › Biodiversity › Multimedia
Prof. Mc Glade presents The European environment – state and outlook 2010: Located in The European environment – state and outlook 2010
Progress towards halting the loss of biodiversity by 2010: This report assesses farmland, forests, freshwater ecosystems, marine and coastal systems, wetlands of international importance and mountain ecosystems in order to provide evidence of progress — or lack of progress — towards the 2010 target of halting the loss of biodiversity.
Located in Publications
Progress towards the European 2010 biodiversity target: This report presents a first indicator-based assessment of Europe's progress towards its target of halting biodiversity loss by 2010. The Streamlining European 2010 Biodiversity Indicators (SEBI 2010) process was set up to streamline national, regional and global indicators and, crucially, to develop a simple and workable set of indicators to measure progress and help reach the 2010 target.
Located in Publications