Eionet core dataflows 2024

The European Environment Information and Observation Network (Eionet) is a partnership network of the EEA and its member and cooperating countries. This briefing presents the results of data collected in 2024 for 13 Eionet core data flows. It summarises the evaluation of hundreds of data deliveries received from reporting countries. It aims to show progress against agreed reporting criteria (timeliness and data quality), allowing countries to identify and prioritise the resources they need for regular reporting procedures. The provision of high-quality data by Eionet is fundamental for the EEA to achieve its mission of providing timely, targeted, relevant and reliable information to policymakers and the public.

The annual evaluation of deliveries under the Eionet core data flows is a continuation of the earlier reporting on Eionet priority data flows, for which annual reports have been published by the EEA since 2005. This is considered an important driver, contributing to improved reporting performance. The annual process conducted by the EEA and Eionet is an evaluation of data deliveries at the technical level, which is performed independently of other data flow monitoring activities that may exist, such as those carried out by the European Commission for compliance reasons.

Figure 1. Overall data reporting performance of countries in 2024

Table 1. History of data reporting performance

Table 1 shows reporting performance (%) since 2005. A score of 100% indicates timely and high-quality data deliveries across all covered data flows. For each data flow, a score from 0 to 4 points is given according to the timeliness and quality of the delivered data. The scores from all data flows are summed for each country and expressed as a percentage of the maximum achievable score. More details on scoring and rules applied are available from the Eionet website.

No evaluation of deliveries was made in 2015 because of the review of core data flows. Although the review led to changes in the list of data flows, the recent results remain largely comparable with those from earlier years, as overall evaluation principles have not changed.

Background to Eionet core data flows

Eionet data flow monitoring and progress reporting began in 1999, initially covering the original 18 EEA member countries, with a thematic scope of nine priority data flows. The list of data flows has since grown, and currently stands at 13, with 38 countries (including all 32 EEA member countries and six cooperating Western Balkan countries) now covered by the data flow reporting.

In 2015, a review of data flow reporting was carried out in order to realign the existing set of data flows with EEA priorities — i.e. needs deriving from the EEA’s Multi-Annual Work Programme (MAWP) 2014-2021. During the review process, the following definition was established: ‘Eionet core data flows: a subset of existing key data flows reported by EEA member and cooperating countries agreed by the Management Board using the Reportnet tools and which are used by the EEA for its main assessments, products and services’.

In November 2015, a set of 18 Eionet core data flows was adopted by the EEA Management Board. These provide a better reflection of the data flows necessary for the EEA’s assessment activities. This briefing summarises the evaluation of 13 core data flows in the following areas:

Air quality

• AQ IPR/E1a: Information on primary validated assessment data
• AQ IPR/E2a: Information on primary up-to-date assessment data

Air emissions

• CLRTAP: Air emission annual data reporting

Biodiversity

• NatDA: Nationally designated areas

Climate change mitigation

• GHG: Greenhouse gas inventories

Industrial pollution

• E-PRTR and LCP integrated data reporting
• EU Registry on industrial sites

Water

• BWD: Monitoring and classification of bathing waters
• MSFD: Marine reporting units (Article 4)
• UWWTD: Implementation (Article 15)
• WISE SoE: (WISE-2)
• WISE SoE: Water Quantity (WISE-3)
• WISE SoE: Water Quality (WISE-6)

A second review of the core data flows was undertaken in 2021. This maintained the definition and importance of the process in alignment with the EEA-Eionet Strategy 2021-2030.