Environmental indicator report 2017 — In support to the monitoring of the 7th Environment Action Programme

Publication Created 13 Nov 2017 Published 30 Nov 2017
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This report gives an overview of the EU’s progress towards 29 environmental policy objectives. These are relevant to the achievement of the 7th Environment Action Programme (EAP) three key priority objectives: natural capital; resource-efficient, low-carbon economy; and people’s health and well-being.
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Publication Created 13 Nov 2017 Published 30 Nov 2017
EEA Report No 21/2017
This report gives an overview of the EU’s progress towards 29 environmental policy objectives. These are relevant to the achievement of the 7th Environment Action Programme (EAP) three key priority objectives: natural capital; resource-efficient, low-carbon economy; and people’s health and well-being.

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: 978-92-9213-927-8
: TH-AL-17-020-EN-C

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Priority objective 1: To protect, conserve and enhance the Union's natural capital
Eutrophication of terrestrial ecosystems due to air pollution
Agricultural land: nitrogen balance
Urban land take
Forest utilisation
Marine fish stocks
Common birds and butterflies
EU protected species
EU protected habitats
Surface waters
Priority objective 2: To turn the Union into a resource-efficient, green and  competitive
low-carbon economy
Resource efficiency
Waste generation
Recycling of municipal waste
Freshwater use
Greenhouse gas emissions
Renewable energies
Energy efficiency
Household energy consumption
Transport greenhouse gas emissions
Food consumption — animal-based protein
Environmental and labour taxation
Environmental goods and services sector: employment and value added
Environmental protection expenditure
Priority objective 3: To safeguard the Union's citizens from environment-related pressures and
risks to healthand well-being
Outdoor air quality in urban areas
Air pollutant emissions
Quality of bathing waters
Number of countries that have adopted a climate change adaptation strategy/plan
Environmental noise
Consumption of hazardous chemicals
Pesticide sales
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Number of countries that have adopted a climate change adaptation strategy/plan
EU protected habitats
Household energy consumption
Surface waters
Waste generation
Environmental and labour taxation
Environmental noise
Food consumption – animal based protein
Consumption of hazardous chemicals
Recycling of municipal waste
Eutrophication of terrestrial ecosystems due to air pollution
Common birds and butterflies
EU protected species
Marine fish stocks
Quality of bathing waters
Urban land take
Air pollutant emissions
Energy efficiency
Renewable energy sources
Outdoor air quality in urban areas
Environmental Goods and Services Sector: employment and value added
Greenhouse gas emissions
Pesticide sales
Freshwater use
Forest utilisation
Transport greenhouse gas emissions
Agricultural land: nitrogen balance
Environmental protection expenditure
Resource efficiency
Number of countries that have adopted a climate change adaptation strategy/plan
EU protected habitats
EU protected species
Consumption of hazardous chemicals
Greenhouse gas emissions
Household energy consumption
Air pollutant emissions
Common birds and butterflies
Agricultural land: nitrogen balance
Waste generation
Quality of bathing waters
Eutrophication of terrestrial ecosystems due to air pollution
Surface waters - DRAFT
Renewable energy sources
Marine fish stocks
Freshwater use
Urban land take
Outdoor air quality in urban areas
Pesticide sales
Environmental and labour taxation
Environmental Goods and Services Sector: employment and value added
Forest utilisation
Environmental protection expenditure
Environmental noise
Surface waters
Food consumption – animal based protein
Recycling of municipal waste
Energy efficiency
Transport greenhouse gas emissions

Related indicators

Status of marine fish and shellfish stocks in European seas Safeguarding healthy commercial fish and shellfish populations is one of the 11 descriptors of the Marine Stretegy Framework Directive (MSFD) for achieving GES. This objective is closely related to the objectives of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), in particular the objective of ensuring the maximum sustainable yield (MSY) for all stocks by 2015 where possible, and at the latest by 2020. Currently, around 74 % of the assessed fish and shellfish stocks in Europe’s seas are not in GES, whereas only 26 % are in GES when assessing both the level of fishing mortality and reproductive capacity; this assessment does not include the third GES criterion on age and size structure of the populations as this cannot be assessed at present. These percentages vary considerably between MSFD (sub)regions — from at least 67-88 % of the stocks meeting at least one of the GES criteria in the regions in the NE Atlantic and the Baltic Sea to only one out of 27 (4 %) and one out of 8 (13 %) in the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea respectively. Important signs of improvement are being observed in the NE Atlantic Ocean and Baltic Sea. Since the early 2000s, better management of fish and shellfish stocks has contributed to a clear decrease in fishing pressure in these two regional seas. Signs of recovery in the reproductive capacity of several fish and shellfish stocks have started to appear. If these efforts continue, meeting the 2020 objective for healthy fish and shellfish stocks in the NE Atlantic Ocean and Baltic Sea could be possible based on two of the three criteria (i.e. fishing mortality and reproductive capacity). In contrast, there is little likelihood that the 2020 policy objective will be met in the Mediterranean and Black Seas.
Share of renewable energy in gross final energy consumption The EU-wide share of renewable energy in gross final EU energy use has increased from 16.1 % in 2014 to 16.7 % in 2015 and to an expected 16.9 % in 2016, according to the  EEA’s early estimates . This gradual increase occurred in spite of an uptick in energy consumption from all sources observed in 2015 and 2016 across the EU. Steady renewable energy source (RES) growth indicates that the EU remains on track to reach its 20 % RES share target for 2020, but the pace of RES growth is slowing.  Renewable energy accounted for 18.6 % of gross final energy consumption for heating and cooling, 28.8 % of final electricity consumption and 6.7 % of transport fuel consumption in 2015. In 2015, all but three EU Member States (France, Luxembourg and the Netherlands) met or exceeded their indicative targets set under the Renewable Energy Directive (RED), and 20 Member States (all except France, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain and Portugal) reached or exceeded the indicative trajectories set in their National Renewable Energy Action Plans (NREAPs).  Eleven countries ( Bulgaria , Croatia, the Czech Republic,  Denmark,  Estonia, Finland,  Hungary, Italy,  Lithuania, Romania  and Sweden ) managed already in 2015 to achieve their binding renewable energy share targets for 2020, as set under the RED.
Forest: growing stock, increment and fellings The ratio of forest fellings to increment is relatively stable and remains under 80 % for most countries across Europe. This utilisation rate has allowed Europe's forest stock to continue to increase.   The average growing stock density in European forests is 163 m 3 per hectare. While this varies considerably between countries, high individual values can be mainly put down to ecological conditions that favour tree growth, the protection of forest areas and, locally, forest harvesting difficulties.
Food consumption — animal based protein The per-person total animal protein consumption in the EU remained relatively stable between 2000 and 2013. It increased modestly up to 2007 and reduced slightly after that year. EU citizens, on average, covered more of their protein needs with fish and seafood, and cheese in 2013 than in 2000. Meat consumption shifted from beef to poultry. Bovine meat and cheese have a higher environmental footprint per kg than poultry meat, so the trend in related environmental impact is less clear.
Emissions of air pollutants from transport Between 1990 and 2015, the transport sector significantly reduced emissions of certain air pollutants: carbon monoxide (CO) and non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOCs) (both by around 85%), sulphur oxides (SO x ) (49 %), nitrogen oxides (NO x ) (41 %). Since, 2000 a reduction in particulate matter emissions (42 % for PM 2.5  and 35 % for PM 10 ) has occurred. Emission reductions from road transport have been lower than originally anticipated over the last two decades. This is partly because transport has grown more than expected and, for certain pollutants, partly owing to the larger than expected growth in diesel vehicles, which produce higher NO x and PM emissions than petrol-fuelled vehicles. Furthermore, it is widely accepted that 'real-world emissions' of NO x , particularly from diesel passenger cars and vans, generally exceed the permitted European emission (Euro) standards, which define the acceptable limits for exhaust emissions of new vehicles sold in the EU Member States. Emissions of all pollutants decreased in 2015 compared with the previous year. NO x  emissions decreased by 1 %, SO x  by 12 %, and PM 10  and PM 2.5  by 4 % and 5 %, respectively. The latest data show that non-exhaust emissions of primary PM 10  and PM 2.5 , such as from tyre- and brake-wear, make up 55 % and 37 % of total transport emissions of these pollutants, respectively.  All transport modes have reduced their emissions since 1990, except for international aviation and shipping for which CO, NO x and  SO x  emissions of each pollutant have increased.
Population exposure to environmental noise Noise pollution is a major environmental health problem in Europe. Road traffic is the most widespread source of environmental noise, with an estimated 100 million people affected by harmful levels in the EEA-33 member countries. Noise from railways, airports and industry are also important sources of noise. The European Union's Seventh Environment Action Programme (7th EAP) sets the objective that by 2020 noise pollution in the EU has significantly decreased, moving closer to the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended levels. 
Total greenhouse gas emission trends and projections   Greenhouse gas emissions in the EU-28 increased by 0.5 %  in 2015  compared with 2014, but levels remain 22 % below those of 1990. According to preliminary estimates for 2016, EU emissions decreased by 0.7 %, which is 23 % below 1990 levels.  GHG emissions for the EU are expected to decrease further  by 2020  to 26 % below 1990 levels as projected by the EU Member States, with the current measures that are already in place. This would surpass the reduction target of 20 %. Additional measures currently planned by Member States could further reduce emissions to 27 % below 1990 levels. For 2030 a reduction of EU GHG emissions of between 30 % and 32 % could be achieved by 2030, compared with 1990 levels according to Member States’ projections reported in 2017. These projected reductions fall short of the 40 % target for 2030, in the sectors under both the EU ETS and the ESD.
Exposure of Europe's ecosystems to acidification, eutrophication and ozone In the EU-28, critical loads for acidification were exceeded in 7 % of the ecosystem area in 2010, down from 43 % in 1980. The figure also decreased to 7 % of the ecosystem area across all EEA member countries. There are still some areas where the interim objective for reducing acidification, as defined in the EU's National Emission Ceilings Directive, has not been met.  The EU-28 ecosystem area in which the critical loads for eutrophication were exceeded peaked at 84 % in 1990 and decreased to 63 % in 2010 (55 % in the EEA member countries). The area in exceedance is projected to further decrease to 54 % in 2020 for the EU-28 (48 % in the EEA member countries), assuming current legislation is implemented. The magnitude of the exceedances is also projected to decline considerably in most areas, except for a few 'hot spot' areas in western France and the border areas between Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands, as well as in northern Italy. Looking ahead, only 4 % of the EU-28 ecosystem area (3 % in EEA member countries) is projected to exceed acidification critical loads in 2020 if current legislation is fully implemented. The eutrophication reduction target set in the updated EU air pollution strategy proposed by the European Commission in late 2013, will be met by 2030 if it is assumed that all maximum technically feasible reduction measures are implemented, but it will not be met by current legislation. For ozone, most of Europe's vegetation and agricultural crops are exposed to ozone levels that exceed the long term objective specified in the EU's Air Quality Directive. A significant fraction is also exposed to levels above the target value threshold defined in the directive. The effect-related concentrations show large year-to-year variations. Over the period 1996-2014, exposure increased before 2006, after which it decreased. During the past six years, the fractions of agricultural crops above the target value were the lowest since 1996. In 2014, the fraction decreased to 18 %, the minimum in the whole series; and mapping results show that the highest values have also decreased. During the past six years, around two-thirds of the forest area was exposed to ozone concentrations above the critical level set by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) for the protection of forests. 
Abundance and distribution of selected species Since 1990, populations of common birds have decreased by around 13 % in the 26 EU Member States that have bird population monitoring schemes. The decrease is slightly worse (14 %) if figures for Norway and Switzerland are included. The decline in common farmland bird numbers in the same period was more pronounced, at 31.5 % (EU) and 34 % (EU plus Norway and Switzerland).  Grassland butterflies also showed a significant rate of decline (32 %) between 1990 and 2015 in the 19 European countries where butterfly population monitoring schemes exist. The rate of loss has slowed down in the last 10 years, but the population abundance trend remains negative.
Exceedance of air quality standards in urban areas Air quality in Europe is slowly improving. However, between 2013 and 2015, a significant proportion of the urban population in the EU-28 was exposed to concentrations of certain air pollutants above the EU limit or target values. The numbers of people exposed were even higher in relation to the more stringent World Health Organization (WHO) air quality guideline values set for the protection of human health.    For fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ), 7-8 % of the urban population were exposed to concentrations in excess of the EU limit value, while 82-85 % were exposed to concentrations above the WHO guideline value. For particulate matter (PM 10 ), the respective exposure estimates were 16-20% for the EU limit value and 50-62 % for the WHO guideline value. For ozone (O 3 ), estimates were 7-30 % for the EU target value and 95-98 % for the WHO guideline value. For nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ), estimates were 7-9 % in both cases (EU limit value and WHO guideline). For benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), estimates were 20-25 % for the EU target value and 85-91 % for the estimated reference level.
Emissions of the main air pollutants in Europe Anthropogenic emissions of the main air pollutants decreased significantly in most EEA member countries between 1990 and 2015: emissions of nitrogen oxides decreased by 52 % (56 % in the EU-28); emissions of sulphur oxides decreased by 83 % (89 % in the EU-28); emissions of non-methane volatile organic compounds decreased by 59 % (61 % in the EU-28); emissions of ammonia decreased by 18 % (23 % in the EU-28); emissions of fine particulate matter decreased by 28 % (26 % in the EU-28) from 2000. The EU-28 met its continuing obligation to maintain emissions of nitrogen oxides, sulphur oxides, ammonia and non-methane volatile organic compounds below legally binding targets, as specified by the National Emission Ceilings Directive (NECD). Some EU Member States reported emissions that were above their NECD emission ceilings: six countries (Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland and Luxembourg) exceeded emission ceilings for nitrogen oxides , six (Austria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Spain and Sweden) exceeded emission ceilings for ammonia  and five (Denmark, Germany, Hungary, Ireland and Luxembourg) exceeded emission ceilings for non-methane volatile organic compounds. There are no emission ceilings for primary fine particulate matter . Emission ceilings were set for 2010 for two additional EEA member countries (Norway and Switzerland) in the Gothenburg Protocol under the 1979 United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution. Norway reported emissions above their ammonia  ceilings . Emission reduction commitments for 2020 have been set under the revised Gothenburg Protocol . The EU-28 as a whole is on track to meet reduction commitments .
Greenhouse gas emissions from transport in Europe In 2015, the transport sector contributed 25.8 % of total EU-28 greenhouse gas emissions. The figure decreases to 21 % if international aviation and maritime emissions are excluded. Emissions from t ransport (including aviation but excluding international shipping) in 2015  were 23 % above 1990 levels despite a decline between 2008 and 2013. Emissions increased by almost 2 % compared with 2014.  International aviation experienced the largest percentage increase in greenhouse gas emissions over 1990 levels (+105 %), followed by international shipping (+22 %) and road transport (+19 %). Emissions need to fall by around two thirds by 2050, compared with 1990 levels, in order to meet the long-term 60 % greenhouse gas emission reduction target as set out in the 2011 Transport White Paper.
Land take Land take as a result of the expansion of residential areas and construction sites is the main cause of the increase in urban land coverage in Europe. Agricultural zones and, to a lesser extent, forests and semi-natural and natural areas are disappearing in favour of the development of artificial surfaces. This affects biodiversity since it decreases habitats and fragments the landscapes that support and connect them. Between 2006 and 2012, the annual land take in the European countries (EEA-39) assessed in the 2012 Corine land cover (CLC) project was approximately 107 000 ha/year. The figure for the 2000-2006 period was approximately 118 000 ha/year. In the 28 countries 1 covered by all three CLC assessment periods (1990-2000, 2000-2006 and 2006-2012), annual land take decreased by 10.5 % between 2000 and 2006, and by 13.5 % between 2006 and 2012. In absolute values, the annual land take in these 28 countries was 114 000 ha/year (1990-2000), 102 000 ha/year (2000-2006) and 98 500 ha/year (2006-2012). Between 2000 and 2006, more arable land and permanent crops were taken by artificial development than between 1990 and 2000, while fewer pastures and less mosaic farmland were taken over the same period. In fact, between 2006 and 2012, the types of land most taken for artificial development were arable land and permanent crops, followed by pastures and mixed agricultural areas.   1 The 28 countries covered by all three CLC assessment periods are AT, BE, BG, CZ, DE, DK, ES, EE, FR, GR, HR, HU, IE, IT, LT, LU, LV, ME, MT, NL, PL, PT, RO, RS, SI, SK, TR and UK.
Use of freshwater resources Despite renewable water is abundant in Europe, signals from long-term climate and hydrological assessments, including on population dynamics, indicate that there was 24% decrease in renewable water resources per capita across Europe between 1960 and 2010, particularly in southern Europe. The densely populated river basinsin different parts of Europe, which correspond to 11 % of the total area of Europe, continue to be hotspots for water stress conditions, and, in the summer of 2014, there were 86 million inhabitants in these areas. Around 40 % of the inhabitants in the Mediterranean region lived under water stress conditions in the summer of 2014. Groundwater resources and rivers continue to be affected by overexploitation in many parts of Europe, especially in the western and eastern European basins. A positive development is that water abstraction decreased by around 7 % between 2002 and 2014. Agriculture is still the main pressure on renewable water resources. In the spring of 2014, this sector used 66 % of the total water used in Europe. Around 80 % of total water abstraction for agriculture occurred in the Mediterranean region.  The total irrigated area in southern Europe increased by 12 % between 2002 and 2014, but the total harvested agricultural production decreased by 36 % in the same period in this region. On average, water supply for households per capita is around 102 L/person per day in Europe, which means that there is 'no water stress'. However, water scarcity conditions created by population growth and urbanisation, including tourism, have particularly affected small Mediterranean islands and highly populated areas in recent years. Because of the huge volumes of water abstracted for hydropower and cooling, the hydromorphology and natural hydrological regimes of rivers and lakes continue to be altered. The targets set in the water scarcity roadmap, as well as the key objectives of the Seventh Environment Action Programme in the context of water quantity, were not achieved in Europe for the years 2002–2014.
Waste recycling Latest available trends show that recycling rates for both municipal waste and packaging waste have increased substantially: recycling rates for municipal waste increased by 13 percentage points between 2004 and 2014, and recycling rates for packaging waste by 10 percentage points between 2005 and 2013. In 2014, 43 % of the municipal waste generated in the EU-27 and Norway was recycled, while in 2013, 65 % of packaging waste generated was recycled. These improvements are, among others, driven by EU targets for the recycling of these two waste streams introduced in 1994 and 2008, respectively. Higher overall recycling rates for packaging waste compared to municipal waste probably result from the earlier introduction of packaging waste targets, producer responsibility schemes and the relative ease of recycling packaging waste from commercial sources. For municipal waste, large differences in recycling rates between European countries prevail; in 2014, the rates ranged from 64 % in Germany to 1 % in Serbia. In six countries, recycling rates were equal or higher than 50 %, while five countries recycled less than 20 %. In 2014, 24 countries recycled 55 % or more packaging waste and overall recycling rates ranged from 81 % in Belgium to 41 % in Malta. These differences indicate a large potential for improvement.
Habitats of European interest Progress towards the 2020 target of improving the conservation status of habitats covered by the EU Habitats Directive has not been substantial since 2010. This indicates that significant conservation efforts need to be implemented to revert current trends. At the EU level, only 16 % of the assessments of habitats protected under the Habitats Directive have a favourable conservation status. Bogs, mires and fens have the highest proportion of unfavourable assessments, followed closely by grasslands. Conservation status trends are quite variable across biogeographic regions, however, more habitats are stable than decreasing in the terrestrial regions. There are still significant gaps in knowledge on marine habitat types. At the EU Member State level, the majority of assessments indicate a low number of habitats with a favourable conservation status.
Species of European interest The 2020 target of improving the conservation status of species covered by the Habitats Directive seems to have been met. This apparent progress, however, is largely attributable to improved data and changes in methodology. Similarly, there has been little progress towards the target for bird populations under the Birds Directive. This indicates that significant conservation efforts need to be implemented to revert current trends. At the EU level, 23 % of the assessments of species protected under the Habitats Directive indicate a favourable conservation status. At the same time, 60 % of species assessments are unfavourable. There are still significant gaps in knowledge, especially for marine species. Fish, molluscs and amphibians have a particularly high proportion of species that exhibit a deteriorating trend. The conservation status of species varies considerably from one biogeographic region to another. At Member State level, more unfavourable assessments are showing a decline than those that are improving. In the EU, over half of the bird species listed in the Birds Directive are considered to be ‘secure’, i.e. they show no foreseeable risk of extinction, decline or depletion. On the other hand, 17 % of the species listed are still threatened and another 15 % are declining or depleted.
Waste generation European economic production and consumption have become less waste intensive, even after the economic downturn since 2008 is considered in the analysis. From the production side, waste generation from manufacturing in the EU-28 and Norway declined by 25% in absolute terms between 2004 and 2012, despite an increase of 7% in sectoral economic output. Waste generation by the service sector declined by 23% in the same period, despite an increase of 13% in sectoral economic output. Turning to consumption, total municipal waste generation in EEA countries declined by 2% between 2004 and 2012, despite a 7% increase in real household expenditure. One of the objectives in EU waste policy is to reduce waste generation in absolute terms, within the overall goal to decouple economic growth from resource use and environmental impacts. Waste prevention efforts across Europe seems to contribute to the waste objectives; with considerable differences between the countries. Wider analysis across different economic sectors within and beyond EU borders will be needed in order to provide more comprehensive conclusions.

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