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Despite progress in key areas, the European Union (EU) remains likely off track for most 2030 environmental goals, according to the European Environment Agency’s (EEA) new 8th EAP assessment. Rising climate risks, slow transitions in production and consumption system and weakening enabling conditions highlight the urgent need for stronger, better financed and faster policy implementation.
The EEA published today its assessment of progress toward objectives set out under the 8th Environment Action Programme (EAP), which establishes the framework for EU environmental policy until 2030. Progress is assessed based on a set of 28 headline indicators and corresponding targets in areas such as climate change mitigation and adaptation, a regenerative circular economy, zero pollution and a toxic-free environment, biodiversity and ecosystems, and environmental and climate pressures related to EU production and consumption.
This third annual EEA assessment shows that, while the EU continues to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve air quality and increase the share of green employment and green economy in the whole economy, most 2030 environmental targets remain likely off track.
Compared with last year, the outlook has worsened for three indicators, reflecting stagnating environmental spending, a continued decline in environmental taxes, and rising climate-related losses driven by more frequent extreme events. None of the 28 indicators showed an improved outlook.
Uneven progress on targets
Beyond the specific declines, the 2025 scoreboard shows an uneven picture of progress across all indicators.
Climate change mitigation is advancing, though land-use removals remain off track. Adaptation efforts are insufficient as climate risks rise. Progress towards a circular economy is slow, with material use and waste still increasing. All biodiversity targets are likely off track. Pressures from EU production and consumption remain high, as energy use, material demand and key sustainability shifts are not advancing fast enough to meet 2030 goals. Weakening enabling conditions further hinder progress.
The report notes that many major political initiatives have only recently been adopted, and their impact will take time to materialise. Current trends therefore reflect both implementation gaps and the growing pressure of climate and environmental change. The report concludes that meeting the 2030 objectives will require a much faster, better-resourced implementation of existing legislation. Although the EU has significantly strengthened its policy framework in recent years, the full effect of these measures has yet to appear, and the window for achieving the 2030 goals is rapidly narrowing.
About the 8th EAP
The 8th Environment Action Programme (EAP) is the EU’s legally agreed, overarching framework for action on EU environmental policy until 2030.
The programme includes a long-term priority objective of living well within planetary boundaries by 2050 at the latest. It also sets out six thematic priority objectives for 2030 and identifies the conditions needed to achieve them. It builds on the European Green Deal and aims to accelerate the green transition, as well as to protect, restore and improve the state of the environment.
The 8th EAP requires progress towards the priority objectives to be monitored annually, taking into account the enabling conditions and the overall goal of systemic change.
