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The European environment — state and outlook

Welcome to the European State of the Environment website. The European environment – state and outlook is published by the EEA every five years as mandated in its regulation.
The European environment — state and outlook 2020: knowledge for transition to a sustainable Europe

The European environment — state and outlook 2020: knowledge for transition to a sustainable Europe

04 Dec 2019

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SOER 2015 — The European environment — state and outlook 2015

SOER 2015 — The European environment — state and outlook 2015

27 Feb 2015

A comprehensive assessment of the European environment's state, trends and prospects, in a global context.

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The European environment – state and outlook 2010

The European environment – state and outlook 2010

17 Nov 2011

SOER 2010 provides a set of assessments of the current state of Europe's environment, its likely future state, what is being done and what could be done to improve it, how global megatrends might affect future trends… and more.

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Related content

News and articles

Article Restoring the natural world Europe has set ambitious policy goals to allow nature to recover and flourish, increasing the benefits to society of a healthy natural world. From protected areas and green and blue infrastructure to restoration, rewilding and using nature-based solutions to climate change, much needs to be done to reverse the deterioration in the health of nature.
Article Health and environment, including air and noise pollution — Putting EEA’s work in the spotlight Air pollution, noise pollution and the impacts of climate change are key risks to the everyday health and well-being of Europeans. We talked with Catherine Ganzleben, head of group, air pollution, environment and health, Alberto González, EEA air quality expert, and Eulalia Peris, EEA noise pollution expert to find out more on what the EEA is doing to improve knowledge in this important field of work.
Article Forward-looking assessments for better understanding of sustainability outlooks The European Environment Agency (EEA) has recently published a report on the 'drivers of change' that impact Europe's environment and sustainability’ prospects. We interviewed the project manager of the report, Lorenzo Benini who works at the EEA as system assessment and sustainability expert.
News How to accelerate change towards sustainability? There is growing recognition that achieving prosperity within environmental limits requires fundamental changes in core systems of production and consumption. A new European Environment Agency (EEA) report, published today, identifies ten focus areas for enabling sustainability transitions.
Article Europe’s environment: the power of data and knowledge Europe collects increasingly more data, enhancing our understanding of the environment. Earth observation data obtained through the European Union’s Copernicus programme presents new challenges and opportunities to improve our environmental knowledge. Combining up-to-date Copernicus data with our existing knowledge base, the European Environment Agency (EEA) aims to empower policy makers and citizens across Europe in taking measures to address local, national and global challenges.
News Achieving a sustainable, low-carbon future will be a huge challenge for European society Shifting to an environmentally sustainable society will bring huge challenges for Europe, involving fundamental changes in how it meets its demand for necessities such as food, energy, transport and housing. Diverse academic and policy communities are confronting these challenges, according to a European Environment Agency report published today, which brings together insights from different perspectives as to how such a complex transition could be achieved.
News More action is needed to protect the natural environment and people’s health Substantial progress in cutting greenhouse gas emissions, air and other pollutants, and improving energy and material efficiency, needs to be complemented by more actions by EU Member States to fully apply agreed-to policies to better protect biodiversity, natural resources, and people’s health. These are the key findings of a new European Environment Agency (EEA) report which reviews key trends and outlook towards achieving EU 2020 environmental objectives.
Article Beyond Paris: making low-carbon economy happen Last December in Paris, the world set itself an ambitious target: limiting the global average temperature rise well below 2 degrees, while aiming to limit the increase to 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels. At the G20 summit earlier this month, China and the United States announced their formal commitment to join the Paris agreement. This is a major step forward for the international effort to cut greenhouse gas emissions and limit global warming. Nevertheless, the current reduction commitments made so far by signatory countries are not sufficient to meet this ambitious target.
Article Environmental knowledge of the future The European environmental data landscape has changed considerably over the last four decades. The complex nature of environmental degradation calls for more systemic analysis and relevant data to underpin it. In recent years, the European Environment Agency’s work has increasingly included systemic analyses. The EEA will continue to identify emerging issues and help expand Europe’s environmental knowledge.
Article Moving beyond waste management towards a green economy Our current resource use is not sustainable and is putting pressure on our planet. We need to facilitate a transition towards a circular, green economy by moving beyond waste policies and focusing on eco-design, innovation and investments. Research can foster not only innovation in production, but also in business models and financing mechanisms.
Article Towards global sustainability In August this year, more than 190 countries reached a consensus on the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. And later this month, Heads of State will adopt this Agenda along with its Sustainable Development Goals and targets in New York. Unlike their predecessors, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are both for developing and developed countries and focus on a broader range of sustainable development topics. Many of the 17 SDGs include elements related to the environment, resource use or climate change.
Article Nature policy works when implemented well Our natural environment is a key component of our health and wealth. However, our recent assessments show that the majority of habitats and species in Europe have an unfavourable conservation status despite significant improvements for many species in recent years.
News Green Week: stakeholders put nature in the spotlight Stakeholders from across Europe are coming together at Green Week to discuss biodiversity and ecosystem services in Europe. The European Environment Agency (EEA) will present its latest findings, recently published in its reports 'State of nature in the EU' and 'The European Environment – state and outlook 2015'. To contribute to the knowledge base, the EEA released today a new technical report on mapping and assessment of ecosystems.
News Picture2050: new photo competition now open for submissions What comes to your mind when you think of nature, economy and well-being? The European Environment Agency (EEA) invites you to share your views and observations of Europe’s environment in a photography competition ‘Picture2050 – Living well, within the limits of our planet’.
News Cherishing nature: World Biodiversity Day Today, 22 May, is the International Day for Biological Diversity. We are currently witnessing a steady loss of biodiversity, with profound consequences for the natural world and for human well-being. Through its extensive network and close collaboration with partners, the European Environment Agency (EEA) brings together the most comprehensive knowledge base on Europe’s biodiversity in order to help policymakers, civil society and the public tackle biodiversity loss.
Article When plastics fill our oceans Our consumption and production patterns generate waste, a part of which ends up as litter in our oceans. Why is preventing marine litter important for the environment and the health of our seas in particular? What is Europe doing to prevent marine litter? We asked these questions to Constança Belchior, who works on marine assessments and impacts of marine litter at the European Environment Agency.
Article Europe shouldn't be afraid of leading the world on environmental regulation Over the past 40 years Europe has developed the most comprehensive, ambitious and binding environmental legislation existing anywhere today. And with good reason: these standards should be seen as a unique economic advantage.
Press Release Europe's environment 2015: Future prosperity depends on bolder steps in policy, knowledge, investments and innovation Europe's environment and climate policies have delivered substantial benefits, improving the environment and quality of life, while driving innovation, job creation and growth. Despite these gains, Europe still faces a range of persistent and growing environmental challenges. Addressing them will require fundamental changes in the systems of production and consumption that are the root cause of environmental problems.
News Europe's demand for resources reaching far beyond its borders Demand for materials is so intense that between 20 and 30 % of the resources we use in Europe are now imported. With the boom in international trade, EU consumption and production damage ecosystems and human health far beyond Europe’s borders, according to a report published by the European Environment Agency (EEA).
News Using resources more efficiently: Green Week 2011 Rethinking the way we use and manage resources is the subject of this year's Green Week, the European Commission's annual conference on environmental policy from 24-27 May, 2011.
News UNEP report maps the pathways to a green economy The EEA welcomes the publication today of UNEP's report 'Pathways to a green economy'. It represents a valuable contribution to the current debate on moving the world to a sustainable path in the 21st century.
Article Cutting deficits and protecting the environment Europeans consume more natural resources than Europe’s environment can produce. Our consumption undermines the capacity of European ecosystems to provide goods and services and puts severe strain on the global environment.
Article Tackling climate change requires a shift to a resource efficient, low carbon and green economy Climate change is happening. The current global average temperature is already about 0.7-0.8 degree Celsius above the pre-industrial level. Even if greenhouse gas (GHG) concentrations had stabilized in the year 2000, temperatures are predicted to increase by 1.2 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial level by the end of the 21st century.
Press Release Butterflies or business - Europe can have both! The European Environment Agency (EEA) released today its fourth Environment State and Outlook report — SOER 2010 — a comprehensive assessment of how and why Europe’s environment is changing, and what we are doing about it. SOER 2010 concludes that a fully integrated approach to transforming Europe to a resource-efficient green economy can not only result in a healthy environment, but also boost prosperity and social cohesion.

Related briefings

Briefing With people and for people: Innovating for sustainability Innovation is both a primary source of systemic environmental and sustainability challenges and an essential element in society’s response to such challenges. Technological innovation, which is a policy priority across Europe, has historically been a major ‘driver of change’ for society and the ecosphere. Although technological innovations deliver a multitude of benefits, they are also associated with significant collateral hazards and new challenges.
Briefing EU protected habitats
Briefing Urban land take
Briefing EU protected species
Briefing Common birds and butterflies
Briefing EU protected habitats
Briefing EU protected species
Briefing
Archived
Common birds and butterflies
Briefing
Archived
Urban land take
Briefing Increasingly severe consequences of climate change (GMT 9)

See also

Page References and further reading
Page Information and knowledge for a sustainable environment In recent decades, State of Environment (SoE) reporting in Europe has provided targeted and reliable environmental information and knowledge for decision makers, civil society and beyond. SoE reports have played an important role in integrating environmental awareness in all operational fields. However, given national differences in legislation, institutional set-up, history and the relationship between science and policy, SoE reports vary in character, form, content and frequency. Yet this diversity in form and content enables them to best support decision makers to address environmental issues within their national contexts.
EEA Job Vacancy
Archived
EEA/AD/2017/4 Project Manager – State of the Environment Reporting – Temporary Agent (AD7)
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Archived
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.
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Archived
Picture2050 – photography competition (CLOSED) What comes to your mind when you think of nature, economy and well-being? The European Environment Agency (EEA) invited you to share your views and observations of Europe’s environment in a photography competition ‘Picture2050 – Living well, within the limits of our planet’.
Key Message keymessage-2015-01-30-2559778039 Recent changes in the global climate are unprecedented over millennia and will continue. Climate change is expected increasingly to threaten natural ecosystems and biodiversity, slow economic growth, erode global food security, harm human health and increase inequality.
Key Message keymessage-2015-01-30-3290764107 The risks of pervasive and irreversible impacts are expected to increase. They could, however, be reduced by further emissions abatement and adaptation measures, building on past actions in Europe and internationally. Key risks for Europe include flood events, droughts and other weather extremes that damage ecosystems and biodiversity, as well as infrastructure and human well-being.
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Archived
The European environment - state and outlook 2015 (upcoming 3 March 2015) An integrated assessment of the European Environment
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Archived
Green CAP project Two of the main challenges underlying the current CAP reform are 'greening' the agriculture sector (reducing environmental impacts) and viable food production with a view to ensure food security. To address these challenges, the European Environment Agency invited a panel of external experts to reflect on these challenges and to explore long-term intervention strategies in the context of the EEA’s ‘Green CAP project’.
Page Greening Europe’s agriculture Human society relies for its health and well-being on four basic categories of natural resources: food, water, energy and other materials including fibre, minerals and processed chemicals. At the global level, food, water and energy systems are becoming increasingly vulnerable. Global demand for energy and water is projected to rise by 40 % over the next 20 years if no major policy changes are implemented.
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Archived
EEA member countries region
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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.
Page Resource efficiency and waste The global environmental problems we face today are largely the result of human overexploitation of natural resources, including (fossil) fuels, minerals, water, land and biodiversity. It has become increasingly clear that Europe's prevailing model of economic development — based on high resource use, waste generation and pollution — cannot be sustained in the long term. Today, the European Union (EU) is heavily reliant on imports. Many of the resources are only in use for a short period of time, or they are lost to the economy through being landfilled or downcycled (involving a decrease in quality during recovery operations).
Page Industry The environmental performance of European industry has improved over recent decades. Changes have occurred for a number of reasons: stricter environmental regulation, improvements in energy efficiency, a general tendency for European industry to move away from certain heavy and more polluting types of manufacture, and companies' participation in voluntary schemes aiming to reduce their environmental impact. Despite these improvements, industry today is still responsible for a significant burden on our environment in terms of pollution and generation of waste.
Page EEA activities The EEA is the European Union's air pollution data centre. The EEA supports the implementation of a number of EU Directives linked to air emissions and air quality. The EEA also contributes to the evaluation of EU air pollution policies and to the development of long-term strategies to improve air quality in Europe. The EEA's work focuses on documenting and assessing air emissions and air quality trends and related policies and measures in Europe.
Page Biodiversity - Ecosystems Biodiversity is the name given to the variety of ecosystems (natural capital), species and genes in the world or in a particular habitat. It is essential to human wellbeing, as it delivers services that sustain our economies and societies. Biodiversity is also crucial to ecosystem services — the services that nature supplies — such as pollination, climate regulation, flood protection, soil fertility and the production of food, fuel, fibre and medicines.
Page Policy instruments Policies have a key role in determining, and improving the state of our environment. European environmental policies have developed significantly since the first Environment Action Programme was decided in 1973. Since then several hundred legal acts addressing environmental issues have been adopted.
Page Europe's seas and coasts The ecosystems of Europe's coastal areas and seas have been significantly altered by centuries of human exploitation. Recent evidence shows that human-induced change in marine ecosystems has greatly increased in the past 60 years. The seas have become busier places, driven by a combination of technological advances and society's increasing demand for food, energy and other resources.
Collection
Archived
Green economy What is a 'green economy'? Although it is still debated, many organisations — EEA included — now have a shared understanding of the concept. At the most basic level, a green economy is one that generates increasing prosperity while maintaining the natural systems that sustain us.

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