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Ammonia (NH3) emissions (APE 003) - Assessment published Oct 2010: EEA-32 emissions of NH 3 have declined by 24% between the years 1990 and 2008. Agriculture was responsible for 94% of NH 3 emissions in 2008. The reduction in emissions within the agricultural sector is primarily due to a reduction in livestock numbers (especially cattle) since 1990, changes in the handling and management of organic manures and from the decreased use of nitrogenous fertilisers. The reductions achieved in the agricultural sector have been marginally offset by the increased emissions which have occurred during this period in sectors such as transport and to a lesser extent the energy industry and other (non-energy) sectors. In general, Member States have made excellent progress in reducing emissions below the level of their respective emission ceilings set in the National Emission Ceilings Directive (NECD). Twenty-two of the EU-27 Member States have already achieved their 2010 ceilings in 2008. Only Finland still needs to make significant further reductions in order to meet their respective ceilings under the NECD. In the three non-EU countries having emission ceilings set under the UNECE/CLRTAP Gothenburg protocol (Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland), emissions of ammonia in 2008 were higher than the ceiling in two countries (Liechtenstein and Switzerland), whilst emissions in Norway were below the ceiling limit by 1%. Environmental context: NH 3 contributes to acid deposition and eutrophication. The subsequent impacts of acid deposition can be significant, including adverse effects on aquatic ecosystems in rivers and lakes and damage to forests, crops and other vegetation. Eutrophication can lead to severe reductions in water quality with subsequent impacts including decreased biodiversity, changes in species composition and dominance, and toxicity effects. NH 3 also contributes to the formation of secondary particulate aerosols, an important air pollutant due to its adverse impacts on human health.
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Analysis of coastal areas by dominant landscape types: Figure left: Sprawl of artificial areas 1990-2000 on Europen coasts, by dominant land cover types, km2 Figure right: Conversion from other land cover to agriculture 1990-2000 on Europen coasts, by dominant land cover types, km2
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Annual abstractions from the aquifer (left) and water-level recovery (right) - La Mancha Occidental, Upper Guadiana basin: Located in Data and maps › Maps and graphs
Annual diffuse agricultural emissions of nitrogen to freshwater (kg nitrogen per hectare of total land area): The map shows the annual diffuse agricultural emissions of nitrogen to freshwater
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Annual European Community greenhouse gas inventory 1990-2004 and inventory report 2006: Located in Publications
Annual European Union greenhouse gas inventory 1990–2009 and inventory report 2011: This report is the annual submission of the greenhouse gas inventory of the European Union to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol. It presents greenhouse gas emissions between 1990 and 2009 for EU-27, EU-15, individual Member States and economic sector.
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Annual trends in nitrate concentrations (mg/l) monitored in rivers (1992 to 2001): Located in Data and maps › Maps and graphs
Annual trends in the concentrations of nitrates (mg/l) monitored in groundwater (1993 to 2002): The numbers in brackets indicate the number of groundwater bodies.
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Area of exits and entries from agriculture to natural/'semi-natural' land: Located in Data and maps › Maps and graphs
Area under organic farming (CSI 026) - Assessment published Nov 2005: The share of organic farming is increasing strongly and now stands at about 4 % of agricultural area in the fifteen older EU Member States and the EFTA countries. EU agri-environment programmes and consumer demand have been key factors for this strong increase. The share of organic land remains far below 1 % in most of the ten new Member States and the accession countries.
Located in Data and maps › Indicators › Area under organic farming