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The European Environment Agency provides sound, independent information on the environment for those involved in developing, adopting, implementing and evaluating environmental policy, and also the general public. In close collaboration with European Environmental Information and Observation Network and its 33 member countries, the EEA gathers data and produces assessments on a wide range of topics related to the environment. Learn more

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Celebrating and protecting biodiversity

News 22 May 2017

Biodiversity plays a key role in the functioning of ecosystems and the provision of ecosystem services essential for human well-being. However, Europe's biodiversity continues to be eroded, and the main EU target of 'halting the loss of biodiversity and the degradation of ecosystem services' by 2020 remains a serious challenge.

Application of EU’s Emissions Trading System rules improving

News 19 May 2017

Application of the rules that underpin the European Union’s Emissions Trading System is improving, with more complete data being reported by EU Member States, according to a new assessment published by the European Environment Agency today. However, improvements are still needed in monitoring and reporting, both by operators and countries.

Carbon dioxide emissions from new vans in Europe continued to fall in 2016

News 18 May 2017

Average carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions of new vans registered in 2016 in the European Union (EU) fell by 4.5 grammes (g) per kilometre, compared to the previous year. The reported fuel efficiency improved by 2.7%, according to preliminary data published today by the European Environment Agency (EEA). This is the highest annual reduction since 2013.

Road traffic remains biggest source of noise pollution in Europe

News 24 Apr 2017

With an estimated 100 million Europeans affected by harmful levels, road traffic is by far the largest source of noise pollution in Europe, according to a new assessment published by the European Environment Agency (EEA) today.

Celebrating and protecting biodiversity Biodiversity plays a key role in the functioning of ecosystems and the provision of ecosystem services essential for human well-being. However, Europe's biodiversity continues to be eroded, and the main EU target of 'halting the loss of biodiversity and the degradation of ecosystem services' by 2020 remains a serious challenge.

Application of EU’s Emissions Trading System rules improving Application of the rules that underpin the European Union’s Emissions Trading System is improving, with more complete data being reported by EU Member States, according to a new assessment published by the European Environment Agency today. However, improvements are still needed in monitoring and reporting, both by operators and countries.

Carbon dioxide emissions from new vans in Europe continued to fall in 2016 Average carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions of new vans registered in 2016 in the European Union (EU) fell by 4.5 grammes (g) per kilometre, compared to the previous year. The reported fuel efficiency improved by 2.7%, according to preliminary data published today by the European Environment Agency (EEA). This is the highest annual reduction since 2013.

Road traffic remains biggest source of noise pollution in Europe With an estimated 100 million Europeans affected by harmful levels, road traffic is by far the largest source of noise pollution in Europe, according to a new assessment published by the European Environment Agency (EEA) today.

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Noise pollution in the spotlight

Article 15 Mar 2017

In April, the European Environment Agency will help raise awareness of the growing problem of noise pollution across Europe. We discussed with Colin Nugent, an EEA noise pollution expert, the very real health impacts of noise which are often underestimated.

Effective policies are based on a robust knowledge base and solid science

Article 15 Mar 2017

At all governance levels, public policy making entails making decisions between different options and approaches. Some decisions, such as to invest in fossil fuels or renewables, might involve selecting one option over the other. Others might address the ‘how’ question – we will invest in renewables but which ones are the best for the society? Each policy decision results in outcomes, some of which might be unforeseen, unexpected or even detrimental to those whose lives it is supposed to improve. In the long term, the overall harm can be much larger than gains in the short term. To achieve the positive and lasting results on the ground, policy makers need to be able to make informed decisions, after assessing the benefits and costs of each available option.

Climate finance: resources for low-carbon, climate-resilient Europe

Article 15 Dec 2016

Our climate is changing. We must reduce greenhouse gas emissions to limit the rate of climate change, and at the same time, take measures that help us prepare for current and future impacts. Both of these strands of action require unprecedented redirection of investments. This was acknowledged by the climate conferences in Paris and recently in Marrakesh. The finance sector can and will play an instrumental role in supporting Europe’s transition towards a low- carbon, climate-resilient society.

Air quality remains a hot topic for many Europeans

Article 15 Dec 2016

Last month the European Environment Agency (EEA) released its latest ‘Air quality in Europe’ report which showed that while air quality is slowly improving, air pollution remains the single largest environmental health hazard in Europe. We sat down with Alberto González Ortiz, an EEA air quality expert, to discuss the report’s findings and how technologies like satellite imagery are helping to improve air quality research.

Noise pollution in the spotlight In April, the European Environment Agency will help raise awareness of the growing problem of noise pollution across Europe. We discussed with Colin Nugent, an EEA noise pollution expert, the very real health impacts of noise which are often underestimated.

Effective policies are based on a robust knowledge base and solid science At all governance levels, public policy making entails making decisions between different options and approaches. Some decisions, such as to invest in fossil fuels or renewables, might involve selecting one option over the other. Others might address the ‘how’ question – we will invest in renewables but which ones are the best for the society? Each policy decision results in outcomes, some of which might be unforeseen, unexpected or even detrimental to those whose lives it is supposed to improve. In the long term, the overall harm can be much larger than gains in the short term. To achieve the positive and lasting results on the ground, policy makers need to be able to make informed decisions, after assessing the benefits and costs of each available option.

Climate finance: resources for low-carbon, climate-resilient Europe Our climate is changing. We must reduce greenhouse gas emissions to limit the rate of climate change, and at the same time, take measures that help us prepare for current and future impacts. Both of these strands of action require unprecedented redirection of investments. This was acknowledged by the climate conferences in Paris and recently in Marrakesh. The finance sector can and will play an instrumental role in supporting Europe’s transition towards a low- carbon, climate-resilient society.

Air quality remains a hot topic for many Europeans Last month the European Environment Agency (EEA) released its latest ‘Air quality in Europe’ report which showed that while air quality is slowly improving, air pollution remains the single largest environmental health hazard in Europe. We sat down with Alberto González Ortiz, an EEA air quality expert, to discuss the report’s findings and how technologies like satellite imagery are helping to improve air quality research.

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Underpinning European policy on nature conservation

Publication 22 May 2017

Revision of the EUNIS habitat classification

Application of the European Union Emissions Trading Directive in 2015

Publication 19 May 2017

Analysis of national responses under Article 21 of the EU ETS Directive

Different emission estimates by EU bodies/institutions

Publication 04 May 2017

The objective of this paper is to give a snapshot of the key GHG emission estimates which are regularly published by EU bodies. There is a light update of the paper every year in May as a joint effort of the four institutions involved: DG Climate Action of the European Commission (DG CLIMA), the Joint Research Centre (DG JRC), Eurostat (Eurostat), and the European Environment Agency (EEA) – who coordinates the final product.

Managing exposure to noise in Europe

Publication 25 Apr 2017

Noise pollution poses a high risk to human health. This briefing presents updated estimates of the numbers of people exposed to environmental noise pollution in Europe. It also provides a new summary of the measures being used in Member States to manage noise. Road traffic remains by far the most important source of environmental noise: at least 100 million people are exposed to levels of traffic noise that exceed the European Union’s indicator of noise annoyance.

Underpinning European policy on nature conservation Revision of the EUNIS habitat classification

Application of the European Union Emissions Trading Directive in 2015 Analysis of national responses under Article 21 of the EU ETS Directive

Different emission estimates by EU bodies/institutions The objective of this paper is to give a snapshot of the key GHG emission estimates which are regularly published by EU bodies. There is a light update of the paper every year in May as a joint effort of the four institutions involved: DG Climate Action of the European Commission (DG CLIMA), the Joint Research Centre (DG JRC), Eurostat (Eurostat), and the European Environment Agency (EEA) – who coordinates the final product.

Managing exposure to noise in Europe Noise pollution poses a high risk to human health. This briefing presents updated estimates of the numbers of people exposed to environmental noise pollution in Europe. It also provides a new summary of the measures being used in Member States to manage noise. Road traffic remains by far the most important source of environmental noise: at least 100 million people are exposed to levels of traffic noise that exceed the European Union’s indicator of noise annoyance.

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Climate change impacts in Europe

Video 02 Feb 2017

The observed changes in climate are already having wide-ranging impacts on ecosystems, the economy and on human health and well-being in Europe. New records continue to be set on global and European temperatures, sea levels and reduced sea ice in the Arctic. Precipitation patterns are changing, generally making wet regions in Europe wetter and dry regions drier. Glacier volume and snow cover are decreasing. At the same time, climate-related extremes such as heat waves, heavy precipitation and droughts, are increasing in frequency and intensity in many regions. Improved climate projections provide further evidence that climate-related extremes will increase in many European regions.

Hans Bruyninckx — Climate change adaptation in cities

Video 04 Jul 2016

Our climate is changing. Home to three quarters of European citizens, cities will need to adapt to a changing climate. Many innovative solutions are already being put to use. Find out what climate change means for cities in Europe and what cities can do.

Climate change impacts in Europe The observed changes in climate are already having wide-ranging impacts on ecosystems, the economy and on human health and well-being in Europe. New records continue to be set on global and European temperatures, sea levels and reduced sea ice in the Arctic. Precipitation patterns are changing, generally making wet regions in Europe wetter and dry regions drier. Glacier volume and snow cover are decreasing. At the same time, climate-related extremes such as heat waves, heavy precipitation and droughts, are increasing in frequency and intensity in many regions. Improved climate projections provide further evidence that climate-related extremes will increase in many European regions.

Hans Bruyninckx — Climate change adaptation in cities Our climate is changing. Home to three quarters of European citizens, cities will need to adapt to a changing climate. Many innovative solutions are already being put to use. Find out what climate change means for cities in Europe and what cities can do.

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Example of EUNIS habitat suitability map

Figure 22 May 2017

The maps show examples of a vegetation plot distribution map and a modelled EUNIS habitat suitability map.

Bathing Water Directive - Status of bathing water

Data 18 May 2017

The EU Bathing Waters Directive requires Member States to identify popular bathing places in fresh and coastal waters and monitor them for indicators of microbiological pollution (and other substances) throughout the bathing season which runs from May to September

Monitoring of CO2 emissions from vans – Regulation 510/2011

Data 18 May 2017

The Regulation (EU) No 510/2011 requires Member States to record information for each new van registered in its territory. Every year, each Member State shall submit to the Commission all the information related to their new registrations. In particular, the following details are required for each new van registered: manufacturer name, type approval number, type, variant, version, make and commercial name, specific emissions of CO2, mass of the vehicle, wheel base, track width, fuel type and fuel mode. Additional information, such as engine power and engine capacity were also submitted.

The NOISE Observation & Information Service for Europe

GIS Map Application 05 May 2017

Noise pollution is a major environmental concern in Europe. Explore NOISE maps to see environmental noise from roads, railways, airports, industry and in cities where you live.

Intensity of land take 2006-2012, per km²

Figure 21 Apr 2017

Based on Corine Land Cover 2012 and changes between 2006 and 2012, the map shows the land take distribution and intensity for development of urban and other artificial areas.

Land take

Indicator Assessment 21 Apr 2017

Land take as a result of the expansion of residential areas and construction sites is the main cause of the increase in urban land coverage in Europe. Agricultural zones and, to a lesser extent, forests and semi-natural and natural areas are disappearing in favour of the development of artificial surfaces. This affects biodiversity since it decreases habitats and fragments the landscapes that support and connect them. Between 2006 and 2012, the annual land take in the European countries (EEA-39) assessed in the 2012 Corine land cover (CLC) project was approximately 107 000 ha/year. The figure for the 2000-2006 period was approximately 118 000 ha/year. In the 28 countries 1 covered by all three CLC assessment periods (1990-2000, 2000-2006 and 2006-2012), annual land take decreased by 10.5 % between 2000 and 2006, and by 13.5 % between 2006 and 2012. In absolute values, the annual land take in these 28 countries was 114 000 ha/year (1990-2000), 102 000 ha/year (2000-2006) and 98 500 ha/year (2006-2012). Between 2000 and 2006, more arable land and permanent crops were taken by artificial development than between 1990 and 2000, while fewer pastures and less mosaic farmland were taken over the same period. In fact, between 2006 and 2012, the types of land most taken for artificial development were arable land and permanent crops, followed by pastures and mixed agricultural areas. 1 The 28 countries covered by all three CLC assessment periods are AT, BE, BG, CZ, DE, DK, ES, EE, FR, GR, HR, HU, IE, IT, LT, LU, LV, ME, MT, NL, PL, PT, RO, RS, SI, SK, TR and UK.

Emissions of air pollutants from large combustion plants

Indicator Assessment 19 Apr 2017

Large combustion plants are responsible for a significant proportion of anthropogenic emissions. In 2014, large combustion plant emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ) and nitrogen oxides (NO x ) contributed 45 % and 15 %, respectively, to EU-28 totals. Since 2004, emissions from large combustion plants in the EU-28 have decreased by 74 % for SO 2 , 47 % for NO x and 73 % for dust. The largest plants (> 500 MWth) account for only 24 % of large combustion plants but are responsible for around 80 % of all large combustion plant SO 2 , NO x and dust emissions. In 2014, of a total of 3 446 large combustion plants, 50 % of all emissions came from just 42, 82 and 31 plants for SO 2 , NOx and dust, respectively. One indicator of the environmental performance of large combustion plants is the ratio between emissions and fuel consumption (i.e. the implied emission factor). The implied emission factors for all three pollutants decreased significantly between 2004 and 2014 for all sizes of large combustion plants.

Interactive map - Green infrastructure indicators

GIS Map Application 24 Mar 2017

Indicators to characterise green infrastructure at the city level and in the peri-urban area

Air quality standards under the Air Quality Directive, and WHO air quality guidelines

Figure 12 Dec 2016

Table

EU progress in meeting emission ceilings set out in the NECD Annexes I and II

Figure 10 Jun 2016

EU progress in meeting emission ceilings (for compliance and for environmental objectives) of the four main air pollutants regulated in the 2001 National Emission Ceilings Directive

Example of EUNIS habitat suitability map The maps show examples of a vegetation plot distribution map and a modelled EUNIS habitat suitability map.

Bathing Water Directive - Status of bathing water The EU Bathing Waters Directive requires Member States to identify popular bathing places in fresh and coastal waters and monitor them for indicators of microbiological pollution (and other substances) throughout the bathing season which runs from May to September

Monitoring of CO2 emissions from vans – Regulation 510/2011 The Regulation (EU) No 510/2011 requires Member States to record information for each new van registered in its territory. Every year, each Member State shall submit to the Commission all the information related to their new registrations. In particular, the following details are required for each new van registered: manufacturer name, type approval number, type, variant, version, make and commercial name, specific emissions of CO2, mass of the vehicle, wheel base, track width, fuel type and fuel mode. Additional information, such as engine power and engine capacity were also submitted.

The NOISE Observation & Information Service for Europe Noise pollution is a major environmental concern in Europe. Explore NOISE maps to see environmental noise from roads, railways, airports, industry and in cities where you live.

Intensity of land take 2006-2012, per km² Based on Corine Land Cover 2012 and changes between 2006 and 2012, the map shows the land take distribution and intensity for development of urban and other artificial areas.

Land take Land take as a result of the expansion of residential areas and construction sites is the main cause of the increase in urban land coverage in Europe. Agricultural zones and, to a lesser extent, forests and semi-natural and natural areas are disappearing in favour of the development of artificial surfaces. This affects biodiversity since it decreases habitats and fragments the landscapes that support and connect them. Between 2006 and 2012, the annual land take in the European countries (EEA-39) assessed in the 2012 Corine land cover (CLC) project was approximately 107 000 ha/year. The figure for the 2000-2006 period was approximately 118 000 ha/year. In the 28 countries 1 covered by all three CLC assessment periods (1990-2000, 2000-2006 and 2006-2012), annual land take decreased by 10.5 % between 2000 and 2006, and by 13.5 % between 2006 and 2012. In absolute values, the annual land take in these 28 countries was 114 000 ha/year (1990-2000), 102 000 ha/year (2000-2006) and 98 500 ha/year (2006-2012). Between 2000 and 2006, more arable land and permanent crops were taken by artificial development than between 1990 and 2000, while fewer pastures and less mosaic farmland were taken over the same period. In fact, between 2006 and 2012, the types of land most taken for artificial development were arable land and permanent crops, followed by pastures and mixed agricultural areas. 1 The 28 countries covered by all three CLC assessment periods are AT, BE, BG, CZ, DE, DK, ES, EE, FR, GR, HR, HU, IE, IT, LT, LU, LV, ME, MT, NL, PL, PT, RO, RS, SI, SK, TR and UK.

Interactive map - Green infrastructure indicators Indicators to characterise green infrastructure at the city level and in the peri-urban area

Air quality standards under the Air Quality Directive, and WHO air quality guidelines Table

EU progress in meeting emission ceilings set out in the NECD Annexes I and II EU progress in meeting emission ceilings (for compliance and for environmental objectives) of the four main air pollutants regulated in the 2001 National Emission Ceilings Directive

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