Publications

Measuring the quality of recycling

This briefing offers a practical definition of recycling quality as an approach to improving waste management operations and increasing circularity in Europe. It is published in support of the EU’s circular economy action plan.

PFAS pollution in European waters

This briefing provides a first overview of PFAS pollution in water based on monitoring data reported to EEA’s Waterbase . PFOS levels are compared with regulatory threshold values, providing an initial understanding of risks in European waters.

The monitoring and outlook assessment, published jointly by the European Commission's Joint Research Centre and the EEA, serves as regular bi-annual check-up on the progress of Member States in achieving the EU’s zero-pollution targets. This second edition will also inform future policies designed to support the zero-pollution ambition — to reduce pollution to the extent that it no longer presents a risk to human health and the environment by 2050.

Beating chronic respiratory disease: the role of Europe’s environment

This report provides information about the environmental determinants of chronic respiratory disease (CRD) to support EU policy responses. It is based on data compiled by the EEA and supports the European Green Deal, as well as EU action against pollution, climate change, occupational risks and tobacco.

This report considers how justice is tackled in the policies which are currently in place to deliver the European Green Deal. It summarises the lessons learnt for policy-makers seeking to achieve a fair green transition, by moving from the concept of justice to the practice of embedding fairness in the design and implementation of policies.

The impacts of heat on health: surveillance and preparedness in Europe

This briefing outlines the status of surveillance for heat-related health impacts and heat-health actions plans in 38 European countries. It draws on a survey issued to National Public Health Institutes. It is published under the European Climate and Health Observatory initiative.

Beating cancer — the role of Europe’s environment

Cancer affects the lives of many Europeans. Environmental and occupational exposure to air pollution, radon, UV radiation, chemical carcinogens, asbestos and other risks contributes significantly to the high burden of cancer in Europe. However, all environmental and occupational cancer risk factors are largely preventable. This web report provides a brief overview of the evidence on the environmental and occupational determinants of cancer in Europe and of EU policy responses.

Europe’s circular economy in facts and figures

This briefing presents key facts and figures around Europe’s effort to forge a circular economy. It uses key indicators for acknowledging progress made and identifying areas of improvement. The briefing supports the implementation of the circular economy action plan and builds on metrics from the Circularity Metrics Lab .

Product lifespans — monitoring trends in Europe

Extending product lifespans helps reduce demand for new products and their related environmental impacts. This briefing aims to improve our understanding and provide novel insights on trends in product lifespans in Europe. This assessment is based on seven indicators developed specifically for the EEA’s Circularity Metrics Lab’s thematic module on product lifespans .

Harm to human health from air pollution in Europe: burden of disease status, 2024

This briefing quantifies the latest estimated impact on population health caused by long-term exposure to three key air pollutants: fine particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide and ozone. The foreseen benefits of achieving improved air quality are also highlighted.

EEA Signals 2024 – Towards healthy and resilient waters in Europe

EEA Signals 2024 gives an overview of key challenges and opportunities about improving the health and resilience of Europe's waters. It includes articles covering nature, pollution and climate change, and it tells a story about how Europe has improved the quality of its bathing waters. Three interviews take a closer look at work to safeguard waters in Austria, sustainability of chemicals, and the possibility of removing chemical pollution from water.

EEA 2021: the year in brief

Every year, the European Environment Agency (EEA) publishes a Consolidated Annual Activity Report (CAAR). The CAAR is the EEA’s annual report, providing detailed information on the year’s activities, performance and achievements, as well as operational, budgetary and management reporting. This online report, 'EEA 2021: the year in brief' draws on the CAAR, providing simple and transparent access to the EEA's 2021 work on key environmental topics in support of European environmental policy, along with an annual snapshot of the Agency as a workplace and its own environmental management and performance.

Transport and Environment Report 2022

Digitalisation plays an ever-increasing role in our mobility, shaping the way the system and our society evolve. To fully realise the potential that technology could bring, it will be fundamental to let environmental considerations guide this transformation. This way, we will come closer to achieving a sustainable and just transition.

Europe's changing climate hazards — an index-based interactive EEA report

Climate change is happening and we need to get ready for more intense heatwaves, floods and storms, wildfires and water scarcity. Different climate-related hazards affect regions, sectors of the economy and members of society in different ways. Decision-makers need the best data and information to help them understand the imperatives and make the necessary preparations — adapted to the different scenarios and likely consequences, at European, national and sub-national levels. Europe’s changing climate hazards, an interactive index-based EEA report, brings it all together with an overview of past and projected changes in Europe’s most important climate hazards.

Impacts of air pollution on ecosystems in Europe

This briefing is part of the Air quality in Europe 2024 package and examines how vegetation is exposed to key air pollutants. It is based on data reported by the EEA’s member countries in 2022 and complemented with interpolated maps. The briefing supports the EU’s Ambient Air Quality Directive and the zero-pollution action plan (ZPAP).

The effect of environmental noise on children’s reading ability and behaviour in Europe

This briefing provides information about the effect of environmental noise from road, rail and air transport on children’s reading ability and behaviour in Europe, to support EU policy responses. It is based on data submitted by EEA member countries under the EU’s Environmental Noise Directive (END).

EEA Signals 2022 — Staying on course for a sustainable Europe

EEA Signals 2022 takes a broad look at energy and sustainability in a Europe that recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, faced with a war in Ukraine and committed to ambitious goals on protecting the climate, nature and people’s health.

EEA Signals 2023 — Health and environment in Europe

Several EEA assessments make the link between environment and well-being very clear. Despite progress over the past decades, pollution and other environmental risks continue to harm people’s health in Europe while improving the state of our environment and mitigating climate change can deliver both direct and indirect benefits for everyone in Europe.

First submission under the Enhanced Transparency Framework of the Paris Agreement