European Environment Agency's home page
What's new
Filtered by
The European Environment Agency (EEA) has developed land accounts that allow for assessing changes in land cover types. These changes can have environmental impacts, such as decline in biodiversity, reduced carbon stocks, or weakened capacity for food production and flood regulation.
Unsustainable farming and forestry, urban sprawl and pollution are the top pressures to blame for a drastic decline in Europe’s biodiversity, threatening the survival of thousands of animal species and habitats. Moreover, European Union (EU) nature directives and other environmental laws still lack implementation by Member States. Most protected habitats and species are not in good conservation status and much more must be done to reverse the situation, according to the European Environment Agency’s (EEA) ‘State of nature in the EU’ report, published today.
This year’s European Environment Agency’s (EEA) ‘REDISCOVER Nature’ photo competition is our most successful ever and as of today, you can vote for your favourite photos and help decide the winner of the Public Choice Award.
What is pollution and how does it affect us and the environment? Europe is taking action to reduce pollution and, as part of the European Green Deal, the European Commission put forward a zero-pollution ambition for Europe. A new European Environment Agency (EEA) report, published today, looks at the pollution challenge in Europe from different angles as well as opportunities to clean up and prevent pollution.
Filtered by
The COVID-19 pandemic provides a clear example of how fragile our societies and economies can be in the face of a major shock. Environmental degradation and climate change are expected to make such shocks more frequent and more severe. Faced with uncertainty and multiple challenges, our only viable option is to ensure that each decision we take in this critical period brings us closer to our social and sustainability goals.
How green are the new biodegradable, compostable and bio-based plastic products now coming into use?
Article 16 Sep 2020We know that plastic pollution and plastic waste are a big environmental problem. In recent years, new plastic products have been introduced on the market, claiming to be better for the environment. A recently published European Environment Agency (EEA) briefing assesses their environmental credentials. To find out more, we sat down with Almut Reichel, a sustainable resource use and waste expert at the EEA.
How has the pandemic affected Europe's environment and climate? What can we expect in the months and years to come? What can be done to ensure that post-COVID economic recovery measures are fully aligned with Europe's long-term environment and climate goals? From latest knowledge developments to long-term policy considerations, the COVID-19 debates aim to bring expert knowledge and reflections on this topic to wider audiences.
Together we can move forwards: building a sustainable planet after the corona shock
Article 15 Jun 2020How can we build a more sustainable and resilient world in wake of the coronavirus crisis? In this critical period where key recovery decisions shaping our future will be made, the European Environment Agency will bring together corona and environment-related knowledge and contribute to an informed debate.
Filtered by
Land use and land use change are fundamental for sustainable resource use and the delivery of ecosystem services, including the provision of food, nutrient cycling and climate change mitigation through carbon sequestration. Land resources are part of our shared natural capital and must be well managed to maintain a healthy environment and human well-being (EEA, 2019b). As such, only if land use and its impacts are properly addressed is progress towards sustainable development in Europe possible. Land-use related policies require the development of harmonised datasets, transparent methodologies and easily interpretable statistics. Land accounts fit the bill, describing how land resource stocks change over time. This briefing describes the use of the EEA’s Integrated Data Platform and CORINE Land cover data for transparent, repeatable and efficient land accounting.
This report describing the state of nature in the EU is based on reports from Member States under the Birds (2009/147/EC) and the Habitats (92/43/EEC) directives and on subsequent assessments at EU or EU biogeographical levels. In addition to an overview on species and habitats status, both at national and EU levels, it also addresses the status of the Natura 2000 network and its possible contribution to the status of species and habitats. Finally, the report provides results on progress towards Targets 1 and 3 of the EU 2020 Biodiversity Strategy.
What is pollution? Where does it come from? How does pollution affect the environment and how does it affect people’s health? How can Europe move towards zero pollution, in line with the ambition of the European Green Deal? EEA Signals 2020 looks at pollution through different lenses related to the Agency’s work and EU legislation.
EEA assessment report presenting the status quo of adaptation to climate change at the local government level, with particular focus on cities. The assessment presents the overview of climate risks to cities, types of adaptation responses, extent of adaptation planning and actions at the loal level in Europe and opportunities to scale up and speed up implementation of adaptation to climate change at the local level.
Filtered by
Filtered by
COVID-19 virus outbreak
Meetings with external participants continue to be held via online platforms until further notice.
Featured article
The COVID-19 pandemic provides a clear example of how fragile our societies and economies can be in the face of a major shock. Environmental degradation and climate change are expected to make such ...
In the spotlight
How has the pandemic affected Europe's environment and climate? What can we expect in the months and years to come? What can be done to ensure that post-COVID economic recovery measures are fully ...
Document Actions
Share with others