Publications

Measuring the extent and condition of European ecosystems

Protecting ecosystems and biodiversity are key policy targets in the EU’s biodiversity strategy for 2030 and the European Green Deal. EU and national policymaking require approaches to be developed to measure the extent and condition of ecosystems to improve their management. This briefing presents the EEA’s work on ecosystem extent accounts and pilot ecosystem condition accounts in the EU INCA project. Examples illustrate the potential use of ecosystem accounting results to design measures to protect and restore European ecosystems, e.g. in implementing the EU biodiversity strategy for 2030.

Management effectiveness in the EU's Natura 2000 network of protected areas

The strategic plan of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) for the period 2011-2020 is coming to an end. During this time, the EU has been delivering on the CBD via its own biodiversity strategy. In preparation of a new global strategic framework, the management effectiveness of European protected areas needs to be improved. The new EU biodiversity strategy for 2030 commits to ‘Effectively manage all protected areas, defining clear conservation objectives and measures, and monitoring them appropriately’ by 2030 (EC, 2020). This briefing shows that to improve management effectiveness, complete implementation on the EU Birds and Habitats Directives is essential. It also brings together results from a study into options for reporting, collating and assessing protected area management effectiveness with a view to informing the new global strategic framework.

Land cover accounts — an approach to geospatial environmental accounting

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.

Digital technologies will deliver more efficient waste management in Europe

Digitalisation is transforming the 21st century, affecting every area of daily life, including the environmental technology sector. Digital technologies will deliver more effective waste management regimes. They will allow Europe’s economy to recover more of the valuable materials present in waste streams, reducing the amounts of raw materials mined or imported and avoiding the associated environmental and climate impacts.

A framework for enabling circular business models in Europe

The circular economy has become a priority policy topic in Europe (EC, 2015, 2020) and is a key objective of the European Green Deal. There is increasing interest in the potential for altering traditional business models to enable materials and products to be reused and remain in the economy for as long as possible — as opposed to being used once and then discarded. This briefing presents an analytical framework, identifying actions that can be taken to implement circular business models effectively.

Plastic in textiles: towards a circular economy for synthetic textiles in Europe

Plastic-based — or ‘synthetic’— textiles are woven into our daily lives in Europe. They are in the clothes we wear, the towels we use and the bed sheets we sleep in. They are in the carpets, curtains and cushions we decorate our homes and offices with. And they are in safety belts, and car tyres, workwear and sportswear. Synthetic textile fibres are produced from fossil fuel resources, such as oil and natural gas. Their production, consumption and related waste handling generate greenhouse gas emissions, use non-renewable resources and can release microplastics. This briefing provides an overview of the synthetic textile economy in Europe, analyses environmental and climate impacts, and highlights the potential for developing a circular economy value chain.

Europe’s consumption in a circular economy: the benefits of longer-lasting electronics

The electrical and electronics industry has been contributing to Europe socially and economically for almost 100 years. However, the production, use and disposal of electronics are resource intensive activities that result in significant environmental and climate impacts. The magnitude of these impacts depends very much on consumption patterns and how long products are used for. This briefing describes how increasing product lifetime and improving ‘circularity’ are essential steps towards reducing impacts from electronics.

Biodegradable and compostable plastics — challenges and opportunities

More and more plastic products are labelled as ‘compostable’, ‘biodegradable’, ‘oxo-degradable’ or ‘bio-based’. However, plastics made from bio-based materials are not necessarily compostable or biodegradable. Moreover, plastics that do biodegrade can be made from fossil fuel-based materials. What is the difference between compostable and biodegradable? What happens to biodegradable and compostable plastics when they are littered? Can citizens compost such products in their own gardens? Can such plastics be recycled? This briefing aims to answer these questions.

Designing safe and sustainable products requires a new approach for chemicals

The EU chemicals strategy for sustainability aims to ensure that chemicals are ‘produced and used in a way that maximises their contribution to society … while avoiding harm to the planet and to current and future generations’ (EC, 2020). Building sustainability dimensions into products’ design phase can support the delivery of these objectives. Key features of sustainable products include chemical safety, recyclability and a low environmental impact. This briefing describes approaches that are safe and sustainable by design and identifies enabling conditions, which support their uptake, and the related challenges and opportunities.

Ozone-depleting substances 2020

Man-made ozone-depleting substances destroy the protective ozone layer and the international community established the Montreal Protocol in 1987 to cut their consumption and production. To fulfil its obligations under the Montreal Protocol, the EU has adopted the more ambitious EU Ozone Regulation. This briefing contains information on ozone-depleting substances in the EU, based on aggregated data reported by companies since 2006 under the Ozone Regulation.

The report assesses the current state of Europe’s buildings stock and looks at what is needed to make Europe’s buildings more sustainable. Renovating existing buildings with sustainable materials while improving climate resilience and working with nature are key. The report also explores what policy actions are needed to achieve that by 2050.

The European Environment Agency in brief

The European Environment Agency in brief presents our role as an agency that supports European environmental policy. It outlines what we work on, our strategic priorities, our key outputs, our key services and publications, and what it is like to work at the EEA.

From data to decisions: material footprints in European policy making

This briefing provides information about the EU’s material footprint and consumption expenditure. It is based on data provided by Eurostat and is published to inform the development of sectoral policies aiming to address consumption patterns and reduce the demand for raw materials.

Sustainability of Europe’s mobility systems

The EU has set out on course towards a sustainable mobility system, aiming at providing users with more affordable and cleaner alternatives for transport of both passengers and goods. However, air pollution, noise and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are all challenges which have not yet been solved; resolving them will require persistent attention in the coming years.

Solutions for restoring Europe’s agricultural ecosystems

This briefing presents evidence-based examples of key options to help restore Europe’s agro-ecosystems and ecosystem services and enhance agricultural resilience and productivity. It is published in the context of the EU’s common agricultural policy ( CAP ) and the recently-adopted Nature Restoration Regulation ( NRR ).

Zero pollution monitoring assessment

The zero pollution action plan is a cornerstone of the EU’s ambitions to improve the well-being and health of citizens and future generations under the European Green Deal. It sets out the vision that by 2050, the EU should have reduced pollution to the extent that it no longer harms human health and natural ecosystems. This is translated into key 2030 targets to speed up reducing pollution at source. The European Environment Agency has produced this zero pollution monitoring assessment to assess progress towards these targets and to support the Commission in the delivery of the long-term vision of a non-toxic environment.

The EEA’s annual report on Trends and Projections in Europe explores historical trends, most recent progress and projected future progress on climate change mitigation through reduced GHG emissions, renewable energy gains and improved energy efficiency. It builds upon data reported by the EU-27 Member States, five EEA member countries and nine Contracting Parties of the Energy Community. With this report and the related climate and energy indicators and datasets, the EEA supports the European Commission’s assessment of progress toward meeting the EU’s climate and energy targets.

Imagining sustainable futures for Europe

A co-creation project of the EEA and its country network Eionet

Harnessing offshore wind while preserving the seas

Europe's marine environment faces increasing demands from maritime sectors and this briefing addresses the often-conflicting demands on the marine space. This briefing highlights the need for informed planning to meet climate goals and safeguard marine biodiversity.

This report presents the state of Europe's water. It outlines three overarching challenges facing future European water management: 1. protecting and restoring aquatic ecosystems; 2. achieving the zero pollution ambition; 3. adapting to water scarcity, drought and flood risks.