Water and marine environment

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All life on our planet - including our ecosystems, society and economy - is dependent on water. Marine and freshwater ecosystems have many vital functions: filtering, diluting and storing water, preventing floods, maintaining the climate balance at local and global levels, safeguarding biological diversity. More

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WaterPIX photo competition winners announced

News 24 Oct 2018

Cattle crossing a river in Turkey, a dramatic shot of a diving kingfisher in Croatia and a fisherman paddling on a Polish lagoon were some of the top winners of the WaterPIX photo competition announced today. The European Environment Agency’s (EEA) competition drew over 2000 entries from 34 countries.

Mercury pollution remains a problem in Europe and globally

News 19 Sep 2018

Historical and current emissions of mercury continue to present a significant risk to the environment and human health, according to a European Environment Agency (EEA) report, published today. The main source of new mercury emissions in Europe is coal burning but about half of the mercury deposited in Europe’s environment originates from outside Europe.

Vote for your favourite WaterPIX finalist photos

News 15 Sep 2018

The WaterPIX photo competition, organised by the European Environment Agency (EEA), has reached its last stage with 49 finalist photos. A public online vote that starts today will decide the winner of the Public Choice Award.

Water in Europe means life, health, food, leisure, energy and more

News 30 Aug 2018

Europe's freshwater and marine resources may seem limitless but they are under increasing pressure from pollution, over-exploitation and climate change. The European Environment Agency's (EEA) Signals 2018 explores the state and trends of Europe’s waters, asking how we can ensure healthy rivers, lakes, groundwater resources and seas for future generations.

WaterPIX photo competition winners announced Cattle crossing a river in Turkey, a dramatic shot of a diving kingfisher in Croatia and a fisherman paddling on a Polish lagoon were some of the top winners of the WaterPIX photo competition announced today. The European Environment Agency’s (EEA) competition drew over 2000 entries from 34 countries.

Mercury pollution remains a problem in Europe and globally Historical and current emissions of mercury continue to present a significant risk to the environment and human health, according to a European Environment Agency (EEA) report, published today. The main source of new mercury emissions in Europe is coal burning but about half of the mercury deposited in Europe’s environment originates from outside Europe.

Vote for your favourite WaterPIX finalist photos The WaterPIX photo competition, organised by the European Environment Agency (EEA), has reached its last stage with 49 finalist photos. A public online vote that starts today will decide the winner of the Public Choice Award.

Water in Europe means life, health, food, leisure, energy and more Europe's freshwater and marine resources may seem limitless but they are under increasing pressure from pollution, over-exploitation and climate change. The European Environment Agency's (EEA) Signals 2018 explores the state and trends of Europe’s waters, asking how we can ensure healthy rivers, lakes, groundwater resources and seas for future generations.

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Mercury: a persistent threat to the environment and people's health

Article 17 Sep 2018

Many people still associate mercury with thermometers and most also know that it is toxic. Because of its toxicity, mercury is on its way out from products in Europe but a lot of it is still circulating in air, water, soil and ecosystems. Is mercury still a problem and what is being done about it? We interviewed Ian Marnane, EEA expert on sustainable resource use and industry.

Climate change and water — Warmer oceans, flooding and droughts

Article 30 Aug 2018

Climate change is increasing the pressure on water bodies. From floods and droughts to ocean acidification and rising sea levels, the impacts of climate change on water are expected to intensify in the years ahead. These changes are prompting action across Europe. Cities and regions are already adapting, using more sustainable, nature-based solutions to lessen the impact of floods and using water in smarter, more sustainable ways to enable us to live with droughts.

Interview — The Dutch make room for the river

Article 30 Aug 2018

Nature and water go hand in hand. This is the thinking behind the Dutch Room for the River programme. This back-to-basics approach now serves as a global model in terms of water management and protection against increased risks of flooding linked to climate change. The most recent extreme floods in 1993 and 1995 served as a wake-up call, according to Willem Jan Goossen from the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management. We asked him what the programme represents in terms of sustainable flood protection.

Close up — Water in the city

Article 30 Aug 2018

We often take a reliable supply of clean water for granted. We turn on the tap and clean water comes out, we use it and the ‘dirty’ water goes down the drain. For a large majority of Europeans, the water we use at home is of drinking quality and available 24 hours a day. The brief moment between the tap and the drain is only a very small part of its overall journey. Managing water in a city is not limited to public water systems. Climate change, urban sprawl and alterations to river basins can all lead to more frequent and damaging floods in cities, leaving authorities faced with an ever-growing challenge.

Mercury: a persistent threat to the environment and people's health Many people still associate mercury with thermometers and most also know that it is toxic. Because of its toxicity, mercury is on its way out from products in Europe but a lot of it is still circulating in air, water, soil and ecosystems. Is mercury still a problem and what is being done about it? We interviewed Ian Marnane, EEA expert on sustainable resource use and industry.

Climate change and water — Warmer oceans, flooding and droughts Climate change is increasing the pressure on water bodies. From floods and droughts to ocean acidification and rising sea levels, the impacts of climate change on water are expected to intensify in the years ahead. These changes are prompting action across Europe. Cities and regions are already adapting, using more sustainable, nature-based solutions to lessen the impact of floods and using water in smarter, more sustainable ways to enable us to live with droughts.

Interview — The Dutch make room for the river Nature and water go hand in hand. This is the thinking behind the Dutch Room for the River programme. This back-to-basics approach now serves as a global model in terms of water management and protection against increased risks of flooding linked to climate change. The most recent extreme floods in 1993 and 1995 served as a wake-up call, according to Willem Jan Goossen from the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management. We asked him what the programme represents in terms of sustainable flood protection.

Close up — Water in the city We often take a reliable supply of clean water for granted. We turn on the tap and clean water comes out, we use it and the ‘dirty’ water goes down the drain. For a large majority of Europeans, the water we use at home is of drinking quality and available 24 hours a day. The brief moment between the tap and the drain is only a very small part of its overall journey. Managing water in a city is not limited to public water systems. Climate change, urban sprawl and alterations to river basins can all lead to more frequent and damaging floods in cities, leaving authorities faced with an ever-growing challenge.

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Marine protected areas

Publication 25 Oct 2018

Designed to conserve Europe's marine life, marine protected areas are a globally recognised toolfor managing and enhancing our marine ecosystems.

EEA SIGNALS 2018 Water is life

Publication 30 Aug 2018

Europe's rivers, lakes and seas are under pressure from pollution, over-exploitation and climate change. How can we ensure a sustainable use of this vital resource?

European waters -- Assessment of status and pressures 2018

Publication 03 Jul 2018

The main aim of EU water policy is to ensure that a sufficient quantity of good-quality water is available for both people's needs and the environment. The Water Framework Directive (WFD), which came into force in 2000, established a framework for the assessment, management, protection and improvement of the quality of water resources across the EU. Since December 2015, EU Member States have been publishing the second river basin management plans (RBMPs) for achieving the environmental objectives of the WFD. These plans are updates of the first RBMPs, which were published in 2009.

Marine Litter Watch - Citizens collect plastic and data to protect Europe's marine environment

Publication 08 Jun 2018

This briefing highlights the work and results of the Marine Litter Watch clean-up activities held on the beaches of Europe’s four regional seas (the Baltic Sea, the Black Sea, the Mediterranean Sea and the North-East Atlantic Ocean) between 2014 and 2017. It also presents the top ten litter items found and attempts to link them to the most likely litter sources.

Marine protected areas Designed to conserve Europe's marine life, marine protected areas are a globally recognised toolfor managing and enhancing our marine ecosystems.

EEA SIGNALS 2018 Water is life Europe's rivers, lakes and seas are under pressure from pollution, over-exploitation and climate change. How can we ensure a sustainable use of this vital resource?

European waters -- Assessment of status and pressures 2018 The main aim of EU water policy is to ensure that a sufficient quantity of good-quality water is available for both people's needs and the environment. The Water Framework Directive (WFD), which came into force in 2000, established a framework for the assessment, management, protection and improvement of the quality of water resources across the EU. Since December 2015, EU Member States have been publishing the second river basin management plans (RBMPs) for achieving the environmental objectives of the WFD. These plans are updates of the first RBMPs, which were published in 2009.

Marine Litter Watch - Citizens collect plastic and data to protect Europe's marine environment This briefing highlights the work and results of the Marine Litter Watch clean-up activities held on the beaches of Europe’s four regional seas (the Baltic Sea, the Black Sea, the Mediterranean Sea and the North-East Atlantic Ocean) between 2014 and 2017. It also presents the top ten litter items found and attempts to link them to the most likely litter sources.

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Water is life, let's protect it!

Video 15 Jun 2018

Water is life, let's protect it!

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Marine protected areas in Europe's regional seas

Figure 29 Oct 2018

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are geographically distinct zones for which protection objectives are set. They constitute a globally acknowledged system for safeguarding biodiversity and maintaining marine ecosystem services.

The development of water abstraction since the 1990s

Data Visualization 10 Oct 2018

Population and area exposed to water scarcity conditions in Europe (summers 1990-2015)

Data Visualization 10 Oct 2018

Use of freshwater resources

Indicator Assessment 10 Oct 2018

Despite an estimated decrease of total water abstraction by 19 % since 1990 in Europe, the milestone set in the EU resource efficiency roadmap — i.e. a water abstraction should stay below 20 % of available renewable water resources in Europe — has not been achieved in 36 river basins corresponding to 19 % of Europe’s territory in summer 2015. Around 30 % of the total European population was exposed to water scarcity conditions in summer 2015 compared to 20% in 2014, mainly living in densely populated European cities, agriculture-dominated areas of southern Europe and small Mediterranean islands. From 2000 to 2015, in the EU-28, there was an absolute decoupling of water abstraction (-9 %) and the gross value added generated from all economic sectors (+53 %). A rapid increase (+11%) has been observed in bottled water consumption from 2010, particularly in southern and western Europe.

Water exploitation index plus (WEI+) for river basin districts (1990-2015)

GIS Map Application 10 Oct 2018

This interactive map gives a European overview of water stress conditions. The information presented may deviate from that available in the EEA member countries and cooperating countries, particularly for those countries where data availability is insufficient in the WISE SoE – Water quantity database (WISE 3). Data on hydro-climatic variables was aggregated from a daily to a monthly scale. Water abstraction data was taken from WISE 3 (annual resolution at the national scale), although there are large gaps in the time series. Therefore, intensive gap filling was performed on water abstraction data and proxies were used to disaggregate the data from the national to the sub-basin scale. Information on water use was mainly modelled on the UWWTP capacities, the E-PRTR database and the Eurostat Population change dataset (online data code [demo_gind]) among others. See the methodology chapter for further explanation of gap filling, and spatial and temporal disaggregation, and the data uncertainties chapter for current data availability. This interactive map allows users to explore changes over time in water abstraction by source, water use by sector and water stress level at sub-basin or river basin scale. The WEI+ has been estimated as the quarterly average per river basin district, for the years 1990-2015, as defined in the European catchments and rivers network system (ECRINS). The ECRINS delineation of river basin districts differs slightly from that defined by Member States under the Water Framework Directive. The Ecrins delineation is used instead of WFD because it contains geo-spatial information on Europe’s hydrographical systems with full topological information enabling flow estimation between upstream and downstream basins, as well as integration of economic data collected at NUTS or country level. In addition to using e WISE SoE – Water quantity database, a comprehensive manual data collection was performed by accessing all open sources (Eurostat, OECD, FAO) including national statistical offices of the countries. This was done because of the temporal and spatial gaps in the data on water abstraction. Moreover, a large part of the stream flow data from LISFLOOD has also been substantially updated by the Directorate-General Joint Research Centre. Similarly, a comprehensive update with climatic parameters has been performed by the EEA based on the E-OBS dataset. Therefore, the time series of the WEI+ presented in the current version might be slightly different for some basins compared with the previous version.

WISE WFD reference spatial data sets

Data 02 Oct 2018

The Water Framework Directive (WFD) reference spatial data sets include information about European river basin districts, river basin district sub-units, surface water bodies, groundwater bodies and monitoring sites used in the first and second River Basin Management Plans (RBMP). The data sets are part of the Water Information System for Europe (WISE), and compile information reported by the EU Member States and Norway to the European Commission (EC) and the European Environment Agency (EEA) since 2010.

Examples of food safety advice on fish consumption from EU Member States

Infographic 28 Sep 2018

DEMOCOPHES study - Mercury levels in hair of mothers as a percentage of the Europe-wide average

Infographic 28 Sep 2018

WISE EIONET spatial data sets

Data 27 Sep 2018

The European environment information and observation network (Eionet) spatial data sets include information about European river basin districts, river basin district sub-units, surface water bodies, groundwater bodies and monitoring sites. The data sets are part of the Water Information System for Europe (WISE), and compile information reported by the 39 EEA Member and cooperating countries to the European Environment Agency (EEA) since 2001. For the EEA Member countries and cooperating countries not reporting under WFD, the EIONET spatial data sets are the most up-to-date information available in WISE. The coverage is complete for Switzerland, and partial for the remaining countries (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Turkey, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Kosovo). For the 28 European Union Member States and Norway, the Water Framework Directive (WFD) reference spatial data sets are the most complete and up-to-date information available in WISE (only the EIONET monitoring sites and EIONET water bodies that could not be mapped to WFD spatial objects are included in the EIONET spatial data set).

Percentage of number water bodies not in good chemical status with uPBT per river basin district (RBD) in second RBMPs

Figure 15 Aug 2018

Surface water bodies failing to achieve good chemical status, by RBDs with uPBTs.

Distribution of marine litter by material type

Figure 07 Jun 2018

The illustration shows the distribution of marine litter reported by the public and where they were found

Aquaculture production

Indicator Assessment 07 Jun 2018

Marine aquaculture production is increasing in Europe (EEA39) since the early 1990s , mostly due to salmon production in Norway which is the main producer. For the same period of time, inland aquaculture in Europe is stable, and the main producer is Turkey, indicating that much of Europe's aquaculture production takes place outside the EU28 (Figure 3). In 2015, the most cultivated species in Europe (EEA39) was Atlantic salmon, while in the EU28 blue mussels were dominant. Other important species include rainbow trout, European sea bass, gilthead sea bream, oysters and carps, barbels and other cyprinids. The countries that contribute the most to European production (EEA39) are Norway (approximately 46 % of total European production), followed by Spain, Turkey, the United Kingdom, France, Italy and Greece (Figure 6). These seven countries account for 90 % of all aquaculture production in Europe. Norway’s production is nearly all due to the farming of Atlantic salmon. Turkish production consists mainly of trout (inland), sea bream and sea bass (marine).

State of bathing waters

GIS Map Application 23 May 2018

Bathing water monitoring by country. Please note: for the scales 1:5.000.001 and less detailed, data are aggregated by country. In such case, stacked bars show percentage of bathing water quality for coastal and inland waters together. Number of bathing waters within certain category is seen in pop up window which can be turned on with a click on one of the countries. For the scale range 1:5 000.000 to 1:700,001, individual bathing water sites (points) are visible instead of classified stacked charts and are coloured according to the classification of bathing water quality. Symbol size depends on the map scale (in more detailed map scales symbols are bigger). For the scales 1:700,000 and more detailed, symbol of bather in a square appears instead of points. Symbol size depends on the map scale.