News —

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
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
Protecting the tree of life: Europe is a continent of breathtaking natural beauty and dramatic contrasts. The EU’s 27 Member States stretch from the frozen Arctic Circle in the north to the warm Mediterranean waters in the south. From the wave-lashed Atlantic coast in Ireland to the snow-capped Carpathian mountains in Romania, the EU includes a vast range of natural habitats and a great diversity of flora and fauna. Our natural heritage includes several thousand types of habitat, 520 species of bird, 10 000 plant species and at least 100 000 species of invertebrate. Yet, in comparison with other regions in the world, these numbers are relatively modest. Europe is the most urbanized and densely populated continent in the world. It is also one of the most polluted. These factors have taken their toll on the natural environment.
Located in Environmental topics › Biodiversity › Multimedia
NATURA 2000: Safeguarding Europe's biodiversity: Preserving and restoring the biodiversity and ecosystems of different habitats, from the countryside to mountains to the marine environment, is a major objective for the European Union. It is committed to halting the loss of its biodiversity by 2010.
Located in Environmental topics › Biodiversity › Multimedia
A forest built on coal: Environmental Atlas of Europe — Germany: When the coal mining era came to an end, large industrial areas in Germany’s Ruhr district were abandoned and many of them had to find a new direction. While decision-makers were still discussing how to tackle the situation, nature had already decided and many of the abandoned mines became beautiful wooded areas. The mine tracks, now covered with trees and bushes, form a perfect corridor for the movement of species from one site to another, contributing to increased biodiversity in these areas known as “urban forests”.
Located in The Environmental Atlas › … › A forest built on coal › Video
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.
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Prof. Jacqueline McGlade on adapting to the impacts of climate change – speech for the ESPACE initiative: In her speech, Prof. Jacqueline McGlade, Executive Director of the European Environment Agency (EEA), stresses the importance of imbedding climate change into planning systems and processes. ESPACE (European Spatial Planning: Adapting to Climate Events) is a four-year European project promoting the importance of adapting the entire planning process to the impacts of climate change.
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10 messages for 2010 — protected areas: Protected areas provide a wide range of services in a context of increasing pressures and a rapidly changing environment. Europe is the region with the greatest number of protected areas in the world but they are relatively small in size. Europe's Natura 2000, unique in the world and still young, and the Emerald network under development, are international European networks of protected areas that catalyse biodiversity conservation.
Located in Publications
10 messages for 2010 — marine ecosystems: Marine ecosystems provide key services both globally and locally, which are essential for maintaining life on our planet. However, marine biodiversity faces an unprecedented range of pressures. In recent years climate change has caused changes in species distribution and presents new challenges for marine biodiversity as oceans become more acidic.
Located in Publications
Causes of loss of semi-natural areas: -
Located in Data and maps › Maps and graphs