Publication

This decade will see significant decarbonisation of the EU electricity supply. Brave changes are happening, driven by the expected rapid roll-out of wind and solar power generation in all Member States in response to the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine and Europe's commitment to become a 'net-zero' emissions continent by 2050 (expressed in the 'Fit-for-55' and the forthcoming EU climate target for 2040).

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Public participation in environmental decision-making is a legal right in Europe. This principle was established two decades ago by the Aarhus Convention. Since then, it has been increasingly recognised that participation is not only a matter of justice and democracy but also a practical necessity for transitioning into sustainability. This briefing focuses on different forms of public participation from a sustainability transitions perspective, highlights its core tenets, principles and pitfalls.

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The future of Europe is shaped by developments of a societal, technological, economic, environmental and geopolitical nature that interact in complex and unpredictable ways. Horizon scanning - a foresight method to systematically detect early signs of potentially important developments - can support policymakers and other decision-makers in anticipating future developments, managing risks and pursuing opportunities to help build resilience to future shocks and reduce uncertainty. This practical guide aims to foster a culture of anticipation and preparedness by inspiring and equipping practitioners across Europe to explore the future using horizon scanning.

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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 2022 for 13 Eionet core data flows. It summarises the evaluation of hundreds of data deliveries received from reporting countries. The purpose of the briefing is 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 to provide timely, targeted, relevant and reliable information to policy-making agents and the public.

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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.

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