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Europe's environment — The fourth assessment

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Publication Created 10 Oct 2007 Published 10 Oct 2007
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In this report, we underline the changes that have occurred in the environment and socio-economic context to help explain many of the environmental trends that have been observed. We identify successes and improvements but also register old legacies that need further effort such as, in particular, air pollution, water issues and contaminated sites. New threats, which challenge piecemeal solutions and call for integrated strategic measures at European and global levels, are described such as persistent chemicals in the environment, biodiversity loss, sustainable production and consumption and climate change. And a new overview is given of the state of European marine areas and inland seas.

Europe's environment — The fourth assessment

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Publication Created 10 Oct 2007 Published 10 Oct 2007
1 min read
State of the environment report No 1/2007
In this report, we underline the changes that have occurred in the environment and socio-economic context to help explain many of the environmental trends that have been observed. We identify successes and improvements but also register old legacies that need further effort such as, in particular, air pollution, water issues and contaminated sites. New threats, which challenge piecemeal solutions and call for integrated strategic measures at European and global levels, are described such as persistent chemicals in the environment, biodiversity loss, sustainable production and consumption and climate change. And a new overview is given of the state of European marine areas and inland seas.
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: TH-78-07-127-EN-C

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Figures used

International tourist arrivals and percentage change International arrivals in the three European regions, at year 1995, 2000, 2005 (unit in thousand on the left y-axis) and percentage change between 2000 and 2005 (unit in % on the right y-axis).
International tourist arrivals International comparison
Changes in species composition between a cold and a warm temperature copepod in the North Sea Changes in species composition between a cold and a warm temperature copepod in the North Sea
Potential reduction in total annual premature deaths (central estimate and 95 % confidence interval (CI)) among people 30 years and over in 26 APHEIS cities Abstract: The potential health benefits of reducing annual mean PM2.5 levels from the current observed values to 25, 20, 15 and 10 µg/m3 were estimated for the 26 European cities of the APHEIS network in 15 European countries, using well-established methods and published results of research on the effects of current air pollution on public health
Change in car ownership per 1 000 capita values from 2000 to 2003 International comparison
Direct and riverine inputs of hazardous substances into the North-East Atlantic This figure shows the input of cadmium, mercury, lead, lindane and PCB7 into the Northeast Atlantic (including the North Sea) as a percentage of 1990 values
Trend in water use by sectors in the EECCA countries, 1990 to 2005
Archived
Commercial fish stocks outside safe biological limits (2005 and 2006) Assessment based on the EEA core set indicator number 32, but with a different aggregation for Iceland, East Greenland and the Faroe Islands following the ICES fishing areas
Growth in private car travel versus fuel efficiency in EU-15
Change in marine invasive alien species in eight pan-European seas Data for the Baltic Sea is for parts of the sea with a salinity of > 5 psu
Archived
Aggregated material use, historic and projected, in EU-15 and EU-10 The median value identifies the middle of a distribution, i.e
Total energy-related greenhouse gas emissions and share by sector, 1990-2004 The figure showing the share by sub-sector of energy-related greenhouse gas emissions (right) does not take into account the Russian Federation and Kazakhstan, for which a detailed split of energy-related emissions are not available.
Average emissions of new passenger vehicles in EU-15 as reported under the 'ACEA agreement' The graph shows average emissions (solid lines) of new vehicles as reported by the three manufacturing organisations in Korea, Japan and Europe as well as the EU average
Transport by mode, passenger km per capita change from 2000 to 2003 International comparison
Fertiliser input per hectare of agricultural land Mean fertilizers consumption per unit of agricultural land expressed in Kg of total fertilizers consumption (nitrogen (N) + phosphate (P2O5) + potash (K2O)) per hectare.
Proposed ASCIs under the Emerald process, in the western Balkans area (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, FYR of Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro) As part of Emerald network process under the Bern Convention, Contracting parties to this Convention identify and propose Areas of Special Conservation Interest
Total number of transport fatalities in Europe
IEA estimates and projections of energy-related CO2 emissions per capita from 1990 to 2030 International comparisons
Area coverage of nationally protected areas in EECCA and SEE countries, 2005
Structural changes in the economy by region
Anomalies in Northern Hemisphere average sea surface temperature from HadSST2 HadSST2 = Hadley Centre sea surface temperature data set
Archived
Accidental oil tanker spills in European seas 'European seas' as used here covers the North-East Atlantic, Baltic, Mediterranean and Black Seas
Change in total water abstraction in the period 1990-2005
Environment and security priority areas in Eastern Europe
Projected percentage change in per capita electricity consumption from 2004 to 2030 International comparison
Duration of heatwave in Portugal, July and August 2003
Total fertiliser consumption International comparison
Projected percentage change in GDP per capita from 2005 to 2030 International comparisons
Percentage change in international tourist arrivals from 2000 to 2005 International comparison
Change in municipal waste generation per capita from 1995 to 2003 International comparison
Final energy consumption per capita and electricity consumption per capita in 1995, 2000 and 2004 International comparison
Total emissions, 2004 International comparisons
Percentage change in forest area from 2000 to 2005 International comparisons
Archived
Emission trends and projections by region
Number of bed places per km2 in the pan-European region
Total population with access to improved sanitation, selected countries
Projected percentage changes in TEC per capita and FEC per capita from 2004 to 2030 International comparison
Projections of international tourist arrivals (million) for 2010 and 2020 International comparison
Distribution of freshwater fish in the pan-European region
Projected percentage change in total population from 2005 to 2030 International comparisons
Generation of municipal waste and CO2-equivalent emissions from landfills, EU-25
Archived
Net migration (millions) required to hold working age population constant at 1995 levels in 2050 For the sake of comparison, there was a net migration of about 8.8 million into the EU and about 3.3 million into the Russian Federation during the 1990s.
World share of forest area, 2005 International comparisons
Projected percentage change in passenger transport by mode and car ownership rate from 2000 to 2050 International comparison
Global centres of crop origin
Percentages of the urban population in WCE, Bulgaria and Romania exposed to air pollution over the limit and target values
Total greenhouse gas emissions per capita in 2004 Total greenhouse gas emissions are based on sectoral reported data by gas, mostly to the UNFCCC
Sufficiency of Member State proposals for designating sites under the Habitats Directive Bars show the degree to which Member States have proposed sites that are considered sufficient to protect the habitats and species mentioned in Habitats Directive Annex I and II (situation June 2006) (marine species and habitats are not considered)
Change in total energy consumption intensity 1992-2004 (%) Gross domestic product (GDP) used: purchasing power parities (PPP) in constant 2000 USD.
Preliminary distribution map of high nature value farmland in the WCE countries WCE = Western and Central Europe
Progress in developing national strategies for invasive alien species
Map of PM10 concentrations in WCE and SEE, 2003, showing the 36th highest daily values at urban background sites superimposed on rural concentrations. Maps constructed from measurements and model calculations (EEA-ETC/ACC Technical Paper 2005/2008)
1-hydroxypyrene (1-HP) in urine of never smokers in Germany (geometric mean, 95 % CI)
Selected oil and gas installations and projects in the Caspian Sea
Total energy consumption by fuel, 1992-2004
Environmental health monitoring system in the Czech Republic
Share of renewables in total energy consumption International comparison
Travel and tourism GDP as percentage of national GDP
Proportion of national land territory and marine surface area protected under the Bird and Habitats Directives (1) = The area of the Member State and the % corresponds to the area of Cyprus where the Community acquis applies at present, according to Protocol 10 of the Accession Treaty of Cyprus.
Trends in energy efficiency, ownership, and overall electricity consumption of selected household appliances, EU-15
Average annual population-weighted PM10 urban concentrations in WCE and SEE countries, and population-weighted PM10 concentrations based on monitored TSP concentrations in EECCA. Comparison of monitored data with PM10 concentrations modelled by the Global Model of Ambient Particulates (GMAPS)
Changes in cumulative net balance of glaciers for EECCA countries Changes in cumulative net balance of glaciers for EECCA countries
Renewable share of total energy consumption in 2004 and projections for 2030 International comparison
Trends in total greenhouse gas emissions Total greenhouse gas emissions are based on sectoral reported data by gas, mostly to the UNFCCC
Global land cover for pan-Europe
Breakdown of resource use per capita by category
Fertiliser consumption in kg per hectare of agricultural land International comparison
World share of international tourist arrivals, 2020 International comparison
Percentage of forest area in total land area International comparisons
Average irrigated land area as percent of agricultural land area (selected countries) Hectares of irrigated agricultural land expressed as percent of the total agricultural land
Change in annual forest area between 1990 and 2005
Projected regional share in world TEC in 2030 International comparison
Share of electricity consumption per capita and final energy consumption per capita, 2004 International comparison
Total renewable energy consumption International comparison
Change in TEC per capita and FEC per capita from 2000 to 2004 International comparison
Fishing mortality of Northeast Arctic cod stocks This figure shows fishing mortality of Northeast Arctic cod stocks between 1946 and 2005
Hazardous waste generation
Total sturgeon catch in the Caspian Sea
Trends in greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture (left) and waste (right), 1990-2004 Index 1990 = 100
Infant death (under 1 year) per 10 000 live births due to selected causes in EECCA countries Abstract: infant death (under 1 year) per 10 000 live births due to selected causes (all causes, respiratory diseases, infectious and parasitic diseases) in 1995 and 2004 in the EECCA countries
Change in summer chlorophyll-a concentrations at coastal stations of the Baltic, Mediterranean (Italian coastal waters only) and North Seas (% of stations, 1985-2004/2005) This is part of the EEA core set indicator 23 (http://themes.eea.europa.eu/Specific_media/water/indicators)
Average annual changes in passenger transport demand in Europe between 1990 and 2004
World share of international tourist arrivals, 2005 International comparison
Change in September Arctic sea-ice extent The 'extent' column includes the area near the pole not imaged by the sensor
Main routes for the spread of the comb jelly Mnemiopsis leidyi in pan-European seas (2006)
Top: GDP Map (the territory size shows the proportion of worldwide wealth measured as GDP, based on exchange rates with the USD, that is found there) Bottom: Total GDP in the pan-European region and the rest of the world in 2005 (based on constant 2000 USD) GDP = gross domestic product
Archived
Changes in European fishing fleet capacity. Countries have been grouped into the following categories: EU-15: Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Spain, France, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Austria, Portugal, Finland, Sweden, United Kingdom
Archived
Change in the pan-European fishing fleet capacity (%, 1989-2005) The time period is not uniform for all country groupings
Map of PM10 concentrations in WCE and SEE, 2003, showing the 36th highest daily values at urban background sites superimposed on rural concentrations. Maps constructed from measurements and model calculations (EEA-ETC/ACC Technical Paper 2005/2008)
Archived
Trade flows between Europe and EECCA, 2005
Arrivals of visitors by type of entrance
Projections of fertiliser consumption International comparison
Total pesticide consumption per hectare of agricultural land The baseline for calculating the consumption of pesticides per hectare was total agricultural land area (even though pesticides are not applied on all farmland)
Archived
Globally threatened terrestrial vertebrates in the pan-European region This graph shows numbers of globally threatened species (Vulnerable, Endangered, Critically endangered) of terrestrial vertebrates (Mammals, Birds, Amphibians and Reptiles) in the three country groups of interest in the Belgrade report context (1.South and Eastern Europe, 2
Priority economic sectors generating significant environmental pressures
Share of total greenhouse gas emissions by sector in 2004 The sectoral shares have been calculated using available sectoral data at the time of writing this chapter
Largest migration streams
Shares of renewable energy sources in total energy consumption and in total electricity consumption, 1992-2004
Greenhouse gas emissions per capita International comparisons
Satellite imagery of chlorophyll-a concentrations in selected
Number of species in the pan-European region listed as "worst invasive alien species threatening biodiversity in Europe" occurring in terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems
Gross domestic product per capita International comparisons
Archived
Trend in total ammonium (NH4) concentrations and BOD5 in selected WCE rivers (1992-2004) Numbers of river monitoring stations in brackets
Unaccounted-for water in EECCA countries (%) (left); Water lost from public water supply systems in Croatia, Denmark, and England and Wales (1990-2004, % of delivery) (right)
Residential heat consumption, EU-15
Total energy consumption (TEC) per capita and final energy consumption (FEC) per capita International comparison
Total energy consumption by fuel source, projections 2004-2030
Worst invasives — the iceplant The map shows the distribution of Carpobrotus in Minorca at the end of 2001, just when the LIFE Nature project Conservation of areas with endangered flora in Minorca (LIFE2000NAT/E/7355) was in the initial steps
Standardised death rates (per 100 000) for diarrhoeal diseases in children under 5 years
Relative gaps (over-delivery or shortfall) between projections and targets for 2010 A negative figure means that the Kyoto target is projected to be reached ('over-delivery') by the country
Water pricing and household water use in Denmark, 1990-2005 (left) and Estonia, 1992-2004 (right) Trend in household water use in litres per capita per day and in water price.
Ecological footprint (top) and biocapacity (bottom) Top: Ecological footprint the size of each territory shows the proportion of the global footprint
Total energy consumption per capita and final energy consumption per capita in 2004 and projections of 2030 International comparison
Total energy consumption, projections 2004-2030 (index 100 = 2004) This figure shows the projections for total energy consumption (see note for definition) in OECD Europe and transition economies
Household and public sector consumption as a percentage of GDP
Archived
Projected changes in annual river discharge in Europe for 2070, using different climate models Note: Two different climate models (ECHAM4 and HadCM3).
Household expenditure per capita
Population with access to an improved water source (household connection, public standpipe, protected wells and springs) (selected countries, 1990 and 2004, %) Percentage of the total population with access to an improved water source (household connection, public standpipe, protected wells and springs) in 1990 and 2004
Wastewater treatment in Turkey
Modal shares of freight transport in Europe by region Oil pipelines not included.
Archived
Land cover change between 1990 and 2000 — area change for major habitat classes The number in brackets indicates the total area change in hectares.
Archived
Main land-cover changes from 1990-2000 Trend in extent of terrestrial ecosystems on the basis of land cover change between 1990 and 2000. The number in brackets indicates the total area change in hectares.
Total and marine catches, change from 2000 to 2005 International comparisons
Inter-annual variability in the peak seasonal development of decapod larvae in the North Sea in relation to SST Phenology is the timing of recurring natural phenomena, in this case the peak seasonal development of decapod larvae
EU-15 imports from EECCA, 1992-2004
Trends in common birds (selected countries)
Projected change in energy-related CO2 emissions for IEA reference and alternative scenarios, 2004-2030 International comparisons
Number of persons killed in transport accidents by region
Concentration of benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) in the upper soil in kindergartens in the Czech cities monitored in 2004
Domestic extraction used per capita International comparison
World share of domestic extraction used, 2002 International comparison
Projected percentage change in renewables consumption by type from 2004 to 2030 International comparison
GDP per capita growth by region, 1990-2005 (see Annex 3 for international comparison)
Trends in cattle numbers by country group Million heads of cattle by country group
Archived
Land-cover change within the 10 km coastal zone of 17 EU countries (1990-2000)
Transport energy consumption per capita by region 1993 and 2004
Total and marine catches International comparisons
Archived
Loss of statistical life expectancy (months) that can be attributed to anthropogenic contributions to PM2.5 for the emission levels in 2000 (left), and projected emission levels of the Thematic Strategy for 2020 (right)
Marine catches in European waters from 1990 to 2005 International comparison
Change in winter nitrate and phosphate concentrations in coastal and open waters of the north Atlantic (mostly Celtic Seas), Baltic, Mediterranean (Italian coastal waters only) and North Seas (% of stations, 1985-2004/2005) This is part of the EEA core set indicator 21 (http://themes.eea.europa.eu/Specific_media/water/indicators)
Mortality rate (per 1 000 live births) in children under five years
Fertiliser consumption in 1997/1999 and projections for 2030 International comparison
Gross domestic product, total, constant 2000 USD International comparisons
Projection of waste diverted away from landfill, EU-25
Domestic Extraction Used (DEU) over GDP, 2000
Changes in annual precipitation for the IPCC A2 scenario (2071-2100 compared with 1961-1990) for four different climate models The map shows for 4 different climate models the projected changes in annual precipitation, based on the IPCC A2 baseline scenario
Benefits of climate policy
Share of organic farming per country in the pan-European region, 2004
Relative decoupling of resource use and CO2 emissions from economic growth, EECCA
Passenger-km per year per capita in 2000 and projected for 2050 and Projected car ownership rates in 2050 International comparison
Municipal waste generation per capita International comparison
Examples of impacts from marine invasive alien species
Total energy consumption and total electricity consumption Total energy consumption (also called total primary energy supply or gross inland energy consumption) represents the quantity of all energy necessary to satisfy inland consumption
Change in GHG emissions per capita from 2000 to 2004 International comparisons
Indicative map of the Pan-European Ecological Network for central and eastern Europe The indicative map of PEEN identifies the core nature areas of European importance, existing corridors between these areas, and where new corridors could and should be established to meet the connectivity requirements of key species.
Urban population with centralised/piped water supply (EECCA and SEE countries, 1998-2003, %)
Mobile phone ownership in four pan-European regions
World share of international tourist arrivals, 2010 International comparison
The rate of recycling versus incineration with energy recovery of municipal waste, 2005
Archived
Coastal zone protected by Natura 2000 (%, 2006)
Percentage of females with imposex in the whelks Neptunea antiqua and Buccinum undatum in the Danish North Sea (2001) .
Projected population International comparisons
Gross domestic product per capita International comparisons
Changing household consumption patterns in EECCA Sectors are presented in the order of the most rapidly growing.
Average annual change in freight volumes in Europe, 1993 to 2003 (variable data coverage, see note)
Oil production and discharges from offshore installations in the North-East Atlantic
Archived
Distribution of Natura 2000 sites across EU Member States
Nitrate and phosphorus concentrations in selected WCE freshwater bodies Numbers of groundwater bodies, lake and river monitoring stations in brackets
Biodiversity ´hot spots´in the pan-European region
Percentage change in per capita electricity consumption and final energy consumption from 2000 to 2004 International comparison
Trends in greenhouse gas emissions from transport (left) and industrial processes (right) Emissions from transport were not reported separately by the Russian Federation, neither in their NC4, nor in their later 'greenhouse gas inventory' submission to the UNFCCC of January 2007
Extent of illegal logging in selected countries Illegal logging takes place when timber is harvested in violation of national laws (European Comisssion, COM(2003)251 final)
Transboundary initiatives on protected areas in Central Asia
Car ownership International comparison
Total sea surface temperature changes in the Mediterranean Sea (oC, 1982-2003)
Population International comparisons
Percentage change in total population and GDP per capita from 2000 to 2005 International comparisons
Establishment in the pan-European region of the worst invasive alien species threatening biodiversity (all ecosystems) Abstract: Not all invasive alien species are equally harmful to native biodiversity
Water exploitation index (WEI) (total water abstraction per year as percentage of long-term freshwater resources in 1990 and 2002/2004) The diagram illustrate per country WEI in 1990 and 2002/04
Distribution of EBRD loans over time in transport projects
Municipal waste collected
Electricity consumption per capita and final energy consumption per capita in 2004 and projections for 2030 International comparison
Water use for irrigation in European regions
Archived
Pan-European region Country groupings in "Europe''s environment - The fourth assessment" Rivers have been added to this cover map version 2
Archived
Pan-European region Country groupings in "Europe's environment - The fourth assessment"
Countries with the largest numbers of refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) in 2004
Export of recycled paper and cardboard and scrap steel from Europe
Trend in annual water temperature in the Rhine (1909-2006), the Danube (1901-1990) and average water temperatures in August in Lake Saimaa, Finland (1924-2000)
Change in fertiliser consumption from 2000 to 2002 International comparison
Contribution to global fertiliser consumption, 2002 International comparison
Tourism inbound and outbound expenditure — EECCA and SEE (left) and WCE (right)
Total energy-related CO2 emissions and share by sector, projections 2004-2030
Population-weighted annual average concentrations of TSP, SO2 and NO2 in some EECCA countries
Share in world TEC, 2004 International comparison
Domestic Extraction Used (DEU) per capita
Archived
Projected change in GHG emissions (CO2 eq/capita) from 2000 to 2020, based on national communications on climate change, baseline scenario (% change) International comparisons
Trend in water abstraction for sectors in selected WCE and SEE countries
Illegal operational oil discharges in designated European MARPOL 73/78 special sea areas (2000-2004) Oil spills locations and ferry lines related with the European sea ports.
Car ownership in Europe (cars/1 000 people)
Renewable share of total energy consumption International comparison
Fuel shares in total renewable consumption in 2004 and projections for 2030 International comparison
Sectoral contribution in 2004 to PM10 (left) and ozone-generating substances (right)
Petrol and diesel fuel prices in Europe by region The red line is the raw cost price for fuel (USD 0.27)
Burnt areas in Portugal, summer 2003
Progress in the implementation of the Communication Education and Public Awareness (CEPA) Programme
Red List Index for birds The RLI for European birds based on panEuropean extinction risk uses information from the Birds in Europe database (Tucker and Heath 1994; BirdLife International, 2004) to measure the projected overall regional extinction risk of sets of species, and to track changes in this risk
Percentage of river monitoring stations per country reporting increasing (upward) or decreasing (downward) trends in nitrate concentrations (1992 to 2004) Negative values on 'y' axis equate to decreasing trends, positive values increasing trends
Treatment of municipal waste
Change in fertiliser consumption from 1997/1999 to 2030 International comparison
Modal shares in passenger transport in Europe During the review of the information it was suggested that the low share of passenger transport in EECCA may result from a different use of definitions with only passenger cars for hire (taxis and rental cars) included
Trends in energy-related greenhouse gas emissions, excluding transport, 1990-2004 Emissions from transport were not reported separately by the Russian Federation, neither in their NC4, nor in their later 'greenhouse gas inventory' submission to the UNFCCC of January 2007
Archived
Total waste generation and waste generation per capita
Observed annual average temperature — global (left) and UNECE Europe (right)
Cumulative number of alien species established in 11 Nordic and Baltic countries* since 1900 * = Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Germany and the Russian Federation (west of Ural)
Modal split in 2000 and projected modal split in 2050 International comparison
Share of electricity consumption in final energy consumption by region in 2004 and projections for 2030 International comparison
Continuity of supply (hours per day) Hours per day that urban population in the EECCA countries receive piped water
Total waste generation by sector, 2004
Archived
River catchments affected by flooding (1998-2005)
Pan-European marine ecosystems The assessment in this chapter focuses on the Barents, Baltic, Black, Caspian, Mediterranean, North-East Atlantic, Norwegian and Russian Arctic Seas
Passenger transport by mode in passenger km per capita International comparison
Draft
UN questionnaire for Belgrade Data are from the questionnaire lead by the United Nation Statistic Division for the Belgrade report

Related publications

See also

Resource efficiency Resource efficiency is essential if we want to decouple economic development from environmental degradation. Earth's resources are limited and their extraction generates environmental and climate impacts: using them more efficiently helps minimising these impacts. In that way, resource efficiency is one of the core elements necessary to create a more circular, greener economy in Europe as well as more sustainable production and consumption patterns.
Archived
Resource efficiency Resource efficiency is essential if we aim to produce more from less input, use resources in a sustainable way, and manage them more efficiently throughout their life cycle. Resource efficiency is one of the core elements necessary to create a green economy in Europe and further afield, alongside waste prevention and recycling efforts, and more sustainable production and consumption patterns.

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