Indicator Specification

Countries report data on the ecological status of their water bodies to the European Commission and these data are stored in the WFD database. Much work has been done in relation to implementing the WFD and producing RBMPs. The ecological status of water bodies is based on comprehensive work carried out in the RBDs and is by far the best estimate of the status of surface waters. The ecological status is comparable between countries and RBDs to a certain extent; however, the interpretation of differences in status should take into account differences in the use of quality elements in determining overall status. Overall, the second RBMPs (published after December 2015) show limited change in status since the first RBMPs were published in 2009, with the same status being reported for most water bodies in both cycles (EEA, 2018b). The proportion of water bodies with unknown status has decreased, however, and confidence in status assessments has grown. Improvements are visible at the level of individual quality elements or pollutants, but often do not translate into improved overall status.

Read more

The two figures in this indicator provide information about the landfilling of waste. Figure 1 shows the amounts and percentage values of waste, excluding major mineral waste, deposited in landfill (the waste landfill rate) together with quantities sent to landfill for selected waste types. Figure 2 shows waste landfill rates, as percentages, by country. Data presented in the form of a bar chart are displayed for the reference year (2010, or 2011 in some cases) and the last year for which data are available (2019, or 2018 in some cases).

Read more

This indicator monitors trends in average SST anomalies in Europe’s regional seas and in the global ocean. Care must be taken when comparing the results reported here with previous versions of the indicator, as differences can arise from the choice of underlying data sets. SST is an important physical characteristic of the oceans. It varies naturally with latitude, being warmest at the equator and coldest in the Arctic and Antarctic regions. As the oceans absorb more heat, SST will increase (and heat will be redistributed to deeper water layers). Increases in the mean SST are also accompanied by increases in the frequency and intensity of marine heatwaves (that is, when the daily SST exceeds a locally and seasonally defined threshold). Increases in SST can lead to an increase in atmospheric water vapour over the oceans, influencing entire weather systems. The North Atlantic Ocean plays a key role in the regulation of climate over the European continent by transporting heat northwards and redistributing energy from the atmosphere to the deep parts of the ocean. The Gulf Stream and its extensions, the North Atlantic Current and Drift, partly determine weather patterns over the European continent, including precipitation and wind regimes. One of the most visible physical ramifications of increased temperature in the oceans is a reduction in the area of sea ice coverage in the Arctic polar region. Temperature is a determining factor for the metabolism of species, and thus for their distribution and phenology, such as the timing of seasonal migrations, spawning events and peak abundances (e.g. plankton bloom events). There is an accumulating body of evidence suggesting that many marine species and habitats, such as cetaceans in the North Atlantic Ocean, are highly sensitive to changes in SST. Increased temperature may also increase stratification of the water column. Such changes can significantly reduce vertical nutrient fluxes in the water column, thereby negatively influencing primary production and phytoplankton community structure. Further changes in SST could have widespread effects on marine species and cause the reconfiguration of marine ecosystems (Gilbert et al., 2014; Baker-Austin et al., 2016; Collins et al., 2019).

Read more

This indicator reports changes in the frequency of historically 1-in-100-year floods along the European coastline. Such floods are caused by extreme sea levels, particularly during storm surges.

Read more

This indicator shows historical greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the transport sector, as well as emissions projected up to 2035 under scenarios in which policies currently in place (‘with existing measures’) and planned (‘with additional measures’) in the EU Member States (EU-27) are implemented. The disaggregated level assessment illustrates trends and projections in key transport sub-sectors. It covers IPCC source categories 1.A.3, 1.D.1.a and 1.D.1.b (as used in GHG emission inventories ).

Read more