The Water Framework Directive (WFD) reference spatial data sets include information about European river basin districts, river basin district sub-units, surface water bodies, groundwater bodies and monitoring sites used in the first and second River Basin Management Plans (RBMP).
The data sets are part of the Water Information System for Europe (WISE), and compile information reported by the EU Member States and Norway to the European Commission (EC) and the European Environment Agency (EEA) since 2010.
The European inventory of nationally designated areas holds information about protected areas and the national legislative instruments, which directly or indirectly create protected areas.
Floods, strong winds, heatwaves, droughts… Climate change and climate-change related extreme weather events are a cause of a growing concern not only in Europe but everywhere in the world. Many communities are affected by such extreme events and have to take measures to prevent and minimise the harm. How can communities adapt to a changing climate and prepare for and respond to climate-related disasters? We interviewed Sergio Castellari, EEA expert on climate change impacts, vulnerability and adaptation.
Marine life, the global climate and our economy and social wellbeing all depend on healthy seas. Despite some improvements, our assessments show that the way we currently use Europe’s seas remains unsustainable. Climate change and competition for natural resources add extra pressures on the marine environment. European policies and measures could result in greater improvements when they are implemented through an ‘ecosystem-based management’ approach and are supported by a global ocean governance framework.
Fifty photos have made it to the final round of the NATURE@work photo competition, organised by the European Environment Agency (EEA). An online vote, opening today, will decide the winner of the Public Choice Award.
Imports, exports and the overall consumption of chemicals harming the ozone layer decreased in the European Union in 2016, according to latest annual report on ozone-depleting substances, published today by the European Environment Agency (EEA). It shows a continuous trend in the phasing out of such chemicals over the last decade.
Aggregated data reported by companies on the import, export, production, destruction, and feedstock and process agent use of ozone-depleting
substances in the European Union
How to read the map:
Warm days are defined as being above the 90th percentile of the daily maximum temperature.
Grid boxes outlined in solid black contain at least three stations and so are likely to be more representative of the grid box. A significant (at the 5 % level) long-term trend is shown by a black dot
According to three different observational records of global average annual near-surface (land and ocean) temperature, the last decade (2007–2016) was 0.87 to 0.92 °C warmer than the pre-industrial average, which makes it the warmest decade on record. Of the 17 warmest years on record, 16 have occurred since 2000. The year 2016 was the warmest on record, more than 1.1 °C warmer than the pre-industrial level, followed by 2015.
The average annual temperature for the European land area for the last decade (2007–2016) was around 1.6 °C above the pre-industrial level, which makes it the warmest decade on record. Moreover, 2016 was the second warmest year (after 2014) in Europe since instrumental records began.
Climate models project further increases in global average temperature over the 21st century (for the period 2081–2100 relative to 1986–2005) of between 0.3 and 1.7 °C for the lowest emissions scenario (RCP2.6) and between 2.6 and 4.8 °C for the highest emissions scenario (RCP8.5).
All UNFCCC member countries have agreed on the long-term goal of keeping the increase in global average temperature to well below 2 °C compared with pre-industrial levels and have agreed to aim to limit the increase to 1.5 °C. For the three highest of the four RCPs, global average temperature increase is projected to exceed 2 °C compared with pre-industrial levels by 2050.
Annual average land temperature over Europe is projected to increase by the end of this century (2071–2100 relative to 1971–2000) in the range of 1 to 4.5 °C under RCP4.5 and 2.5 to 5.5 °C under RCP8.5, which is more than the projected global average increase. The strongest warming is projected across north-eastern Europe and Scandinavia in winter and southern Europe in summer.
The number of warm days (those exceeding the 90th percentile threshold of a baseline period) have doubled since 1960 across the European land area.
Europe has experienced several extreme heat waves since 2000 (2003, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2014 and 2015). Under a high emissions scenario (RCP8.5), extreme heat waves as strong as these or even stronger are projected to occur as often as every two years in the second half of the 21st century. In southern Europe they are projected to be particularly strong.
Grid boxes outlined in solid black contain at least three stations and so are likely to be more representative of the grid box. A significant (at the 5 % level) long-term trend is shown by a black dot.
Accelerating rates of construction, changing demographics, technological changes, and climate change are some of the key drivers influencing the use of Europe’s vast landscapes. A European Environment Agency report published today says that the continent’s land use increasingly sees striking changes and conflicts over land demand which will require reconciling place-based management and macro policies to foster responsible land use.
Landscape is one of the most precious assets
contributing to Europe's cultural identity. As landscape
is determined to a large extent by land use, the study
of land use changes, especially through changes in
the land cover, provides clues to the drivers of the
transitions that landscape is currently going through.
New data on land cover change in Europe up to 2012
show that total land cover change increased from
the 2000‑2006 period to the 2006‑2012 period.
Laura Burke, head of Ireland’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) took up her position as Chair of the EEA Management Board today, succeeding Elisabeth Freytag-Rigler at the end of her three-year term.
The EU ETS data viewer provides an easy access to emission trading data contained in the European Union Transaction Log (EUTL). The EUTL is a central transaction log, run by the European Commission, which checks and records all transactions taking place within the trading system. The EU ETS data viewer provides aggregated data by country, by main activity type and by year on the verified emissions, allowances and surrendered units of the more than 12 000 stationary installations reporting under the EU emission trading system, as well as 1400 aircraft operators.
The marine regions and subregions map and correspondent layers provide information about the geographic boundaries of the areas listed in Article 4 of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD). The map has been developed to support DG Environment and EU Member States in their implementation of the MSFD. It represents the current state of understanding of the marine regions and subregions and is subject to amendment in light of any new information which may be produced.
The European Environment Agency (EEA) publishes Signals annually, providing a snapshot of issues of interest to the environmental debate and the wider public. Signals 2017 focuses on energy.
In many ways energy powers our lives and we depend on a reliable supply of energy at an affordable price, but at what cost to our environment? The European Environment Agency’s (EEA) Signals 2017 published today looks into Europe’s energy system and its transition towards clean, smart and renewable energy.
A quiet change is under way on European roads. The use of electric vehicles is projected to take off across Europe. It is a move that could help pave the way to a greener road transport system, but one that could pose challenges in meeting energy demand and investing in relevant infrastructure.
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