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Country profile - Distinguishing factors (Finland): Country introduction - Factors that distinguish Finland from many others
Located in The European environment – state and outlook 2010 › Country assessments › Finland
Freshwater - Outlook 2020 (Belgium): Outlook concerning ecological and chemical status for surface water and a good quantitative and chemical status for groundwater in the Belgian regions
Located in The European environment – state and outlook 2010 › Country assessments › Belgium
Freshwater - State and impacts (Belgium): Nitrates in groundwater in the Belgian regions.
Located in The European environment – state and outlook 2010 › Country assessments › Belgium
Progress in management of contaminated sites (CSI 015) - Assessment published Aug 2007: Soil contamination requiring clean up is present at approximately 250000 sites in the EEA member countries, according to recent estimates. And this number is expected to grow. Potentially polluting activities are estimated to have occurred at nearly 3 million sites (including the 250000 sites already mentioned) and investigation is needed to establish whether remediation is required. If current investigation trends continue, the number of sites needing remediation will increase by 50% by 2025. By contrast, more than 80000 sites have been cleaned up in the last 30 years in the countries where data on remediation is available. Although the range of polluting activities (and their relative importance as localised sources of soil contamination) may vary considerably across Europe, industrial and commercial activities as well as the treatment and disposal of waste are reported to be the most important sources. National reports indicate that heavy metals and mineral oil are the most frequent soil contaminants at investigated sites, while mineral oil and chlorinated hydrocarbons are the most frequent contaminants found in groundwater. A considerable share of remediation expenditure, about 35% on average, comes from public budgets. Although considerable efforts have been made already, it will take decades to clean up a legacy of contamination.
Located in Data and maps › Indicators › Progress in management of contaminated sites
Introduction to General Terms: Located in Environmental topics › Water
Priority issues in the Mediterranean environment (revised version): Following the principles of the European Thematic Strategy on the Protection and Conservation of the Marine Environment, the collective interest of EEA and UNEP/MAP has been developed towards a product focusing on priority pollution zones in the Mediterranean Sea and addressing emerging issues. All these issues come under the prism of an ecosystem approach. The core of this report derives from the latest (2003–2004) country National Diagnostic Analyses reports (NDA).
Located in Publications
Ask an expert on ground water: Pavla Chyská- EEA expert on Water, Ground water "Ground water is a very important element of the earth's hydrological cycle. It comes from rain and snow melt that seeps into the grounds. Its hidden below the earth's surface and, compared with rivers and lakes, it receives less attention from people but its influence on our lives is enormous. Ground water is very important because it's a vital part of the eco-systems on our planet and, yes, life exists in ground water too. Many water eco-systems like springs, rivers and streams depend on it. Ground water is also a major source of water for people and especially quality drinking water. In Europe as a whole, about 65% of public water supply is provided by ground water."
Located in Environmental topics › Biodiversity › Multimedia
Progress in management of contaminated sites (CSI 015) - Assessment published Jul 2005: Several economic activities are still causing soil pollution in Europe, particularly those related to inadequate waste disposal and losses during industrial operations. It is expected that the implementation of preventive measures introduced by the legislation already in place would limit the inputs of contaminants into the soil in the coming years. As a consequence, most of the future management efforts will be concentrated on the clean-up of historical contamination. This is going to require large sums of public money which at present already account on average for 25% of the total remediation expenditure.
Located in Data and maps › Indicators › Progress in management of contaminated sites
Saltwater intrusion: Located in Data and maps › Indicators
Waterbase - Groundwater bodies: Located in Data and maps › Maps and graphs