Water and marine environment

The map reflects the most recent available information at the EU-level on implementation of the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (UWWTD) in EU 28 plus Iceland based on data reported by the Member States (for reference year 2018) in 2020.

Read more

Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive concerns the collection, treatment and discharge of urban waste water and the treatment and discharge of waste water from certain industrial sectors. The objective of the Directive is to protect the environment from the adverse effects of the above mentioned waste water discharges.

Read more

The pan-European High-Resolution Snow & Ice products (HR-S&I) are provided at high spatial resolution (20 m x 20 m), and are derived from the Sentinel-2 constellation data (Sentinel-2A and Sentinel-2B: revisit time 5 of days). They are generated over the entire EEA38 +UK from September 1, 2016 onwards.

Read more

Waste water treatment and reductions in nutrient losses from agriculture have led to significant improvements in water quality in Europe. However, many of Europe’s freshwater bodies are still not doing well and the condition of Europe’s seas is generally poor, partly because of pollution.

Read more

The map shows the biogeographical and marine regions for EU-28 countries.

Read more

The treatment of urban waste water is fundamental to ensuring public health and environmental protection. Urban waste water treatment in all parts of Europe has improved over the last 30-40 years. In 2017, most European countries collected and treated sewage to tertiary level from most of their population. In EU-27 countries (EEA 2020), 69 % of the population were connected to tertiary level treatment and 13 % to secondary level treatment. Countries where less than 80 % of the population were connected to public urban waste water treatment systems were Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia and Slovenia.

Read more

This map shows the number of deaths related to flooding per million inhabitants (cumulative over the period 1991–2015, with respect to 2015 population).

Read more

Read more

The data series are calculated as the average of annual mean concentrations for groundwater bodies/river stations/lake stations in Europe. Only complete series after inter/extrapolation are included (see indicator specification). The number of groundwater bodies/river stations/lake stations included per country is given in the notes below the individual substance charts.

Read more

The WISE Water Framework Directive Quality Elements map contains information from the 2nd River Basin Management Plans (RBMPs) reported by EU Members States and Norway according to article 13 of the Water Framework Directive (WFD). The map shows the ecological status or potential of surface water bodies based on their quality elements status value. The following quality elements are presented: QE1 - Biological quality elements; QE1-1 - Phytoplankton; QE1-2 - Other aquatic flora QE1-2-1 - Macroalgae; QE1-2-2 - Angiosperms; QE1-2-3 - Macrophytes; QE1-2-4 - Phytobenthos; QE1-3 - Benthic invertebrates; QE1-4 - Fish; QE2 - Hydromorphological quality elements; QE2-1 - Hydrological or tidal regime; QE2-2 - River continuity conditions; QE2-3 - Morphological conditions; QE3 - Chemical and physico-chemical quality elements; QE3-1 - General parameters; QE3-1-1 - Transparency conditions; QE3-1-2 - Thermal conditions; QE3-1-3 - Oxygenation conditions; QE3-1-4 - Salinity conditions; QE3-1-5 - Acidification status; QE3-1-6 - Nutrient conditions; QE3-1-6-1 - Nitrogen conditions; QE3-1-6-2 - Phosphorus conditions and QE3-3 - River Basin Specific Pollutants.

Read more

The chart shows the average Eutrophication Ratio for the entire Baltic for each year from 1900 to 2200, as well as a 5-year moving average. The eutrophication ratio is calculated by the HEAT tool. A value above 1 indicates that there is a Eutrophic status. A value below 1 indicate a good (non-eutrophic status).

Read more

Currently, the ocean takes up about one quarter of global CO 2 emissions from human activities. The uptake of CO 2 in the sea causes ocean acidification, as the pH of sea water declines. Ocean surface pH declined from 8.2 to below 8.1 over the industrial era as a result of an increase in atmospheric CO 2 concentrations. This decline corresponds to an increase in oceanic acidity of about 30 %. In recent decades, ocean acidification has been occurring 100 times faster than during natural events over the past 55 million years. These rapid chemical changes are an added pressure on marine ecosystems. Observed reductions in surface water pH are nearly identical across the global ocean and throughout European seas, except for variations near coasts. The reduction in pH in the northernmost European seas, i.e. the Norwegian Sea and the Greenland Sea, is larger than the global average. Ocean acidification has wide-ranging impacts on marine ecosystems. A reduction in carbonate availability reduces the rate of calcification of marine calcifying organisms, such as reef-building corals, shellfish and plankton. Ocean acidification has already affected the deep ocean, particularly at high latitudes. Changes in pH affect biological processes, e.g. enzyme activities and photosynthesis, which in turn affects primary production. These changes may be exacerbated by rising seawater temperatures. Changes in marine primary production will have an impact on the global carbon cycle and the absorption of atmospheric CO 2 in the ocean, as well as on the overall capacity of ocean to mitigate climate change. effectsModels consistently project further ocean acidification worldwide. Ocean surface pH is projected to decrease to values between 8.05 and 7.75 by the end of the 21st century, depending on future CO 2 emission levels. The largest projected decline represents more than a doubling in acidity. The combined effects of elevated seawater temperatures, deoxygenation and acidification are expected to have negative effects on entire marine ecosystems and cause changes in food webs and marine production, and will also result in economic losses.

Read more

Read more

The chart compares the results of the Cumulative Effect Assessment with the results of the Ecosystem Health Status (MESH+) Assessment and EU Water Framwork Directive ecological status (2016).

Read more

The map reflects the most recent available information at the EU-level on implementation of the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (UWWTD) in EU 28 plus Iceland based on data reported by the Member States (for reference year 2018) in 2020.

Read more

Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive concerns the collection, treatment and discharge of urban waste water and the treatment and discharge of waste water from certain industrial sectors. The objective of the Directive is to protect the environment from the adverse effects of the above mentioned waste water discharges.

Read more

Water resources, surface water quality and water consumption in the Eastern Partnership countries

Read more

Freshwater resources are unevenly distributed throughout the European Union’s (EU) six Eastern Partnership countries — Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine — according to a European Environment Agency’s report, published today. The EEA report presents an assessment of freshwater availability and water-use efficiency in the region.

Read more

The pan-European High-Resolution Snow & Ice products (HR-S&I) are provided at high spatial resolution (20 m x 20 m), and are derived from the Sentinel-2 constellation data (Sentinel-2A and Sentinel-2B: revisit time 5 of days). They are generated over the entire EEA38 +UK from September 1, 2016 onwards.

Read more

Waste water treatment and reductions in nutrient losses from agriculture have led to significant improvements in water quality in Europe. However, many of Europe’s freshwater bodies are still not doing well and the condition of Europe’s seas is generally poor, partly because of pollution.

Read more

Water covers more than 70 % of the Earth’s surface and is essential to all life on our planet. Of all the Earth’s water, 96.5 % is contained within the oceans as salt water, whereas the remaining 3.5 % is freshwater — lakes, rivers, groundwater and ice. Good management of this limited and precious resource is indispensable for the well-being of people and nature.

Read more

The map shows the biogeographical and marine regions for EU-28 countries.

Read more

Achieving a cleaner Mediterranean Sea requires better implementation of policies and enhanced environmental data and information, according to a joint report by the European Environment Agency (EEA) and United Nations Environment Programme’s Mediterranean Action Plan (UNEP/MAP), published today. Cumulative effects of waste and marine litter, and wastewater and industrial emissions remain key challenges for the region.

Read more

This joint EEA and UNEP/MAP report takes stock of the progress achieved and challenges ahead in the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) Horizon 2020 initiative for a cleaner Mediterranean (H2020).

Read more

The treatment of urban waste water is fundamental to ensuring public health and environmental protection. Urban waste water treatment in all parts of Europe has improved over the last 30-40 years. In 2017, most European countries collected and treated sewage to tertiary level from most of their population. In EU-27 countries (EEA 2020), 69 % of the population were connected to tertiary level treatment and 13 % to secondary level treatment. Countries where less than 80 % of the population were connected to public urban waste water treatment systems were Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia and Slovenia.

Read more

This map shows the number of deaths related to flooding per million inhabitants (cumulative over the period 1991–2015, with respect to 2015 population).

Read more

Read more

The data series are calculated as the average of annual mean concentrations for groundwater bodies/river stations/lake stations in Europe. Only complete series after inter/extrapolation are included (see indicator specification). The number of groundwater bodies/river stations/lake stations included per country is given in the notes below the individual substance charts.

Read more

The WISE Water Framework Directive Quality Elements map contains information from the 2nd River Basin Management Plans (RBMPs) reported by EU Members States and Norway according to article 13 of the Water Framework Directive (WFD). The map shows the ecological status or potential of surface water bodies based on their quality elements status value. The following quality elements are presented: QE1 - Biological quality elements; QE1-1 - Phytoplankton; QE1-2 - Other aquatic flora QE1-2-1 - Macroalgae; QE1-2-2 - Angiosperms; QE1-2-3 - Macrophytes; QE1-2-4 - Phytobenthos; QE1-3 - Benthic invertebrates; QE1-4 - Fish; QE2 - Hydromorphological quality elements; QE2-1 - Hydrological or tidal regime; QE2-2 - River continuity conditions; QE2-3 - Morphological conditions; QE3 - Chemical and physico-chemical quality elements; QE3-1 - General parameters; QE3-1-1 - Transparency conditions; QE3-1-2 - Thermal conditions; QE3-1-3 - Oxygenation conditions; QE3-1-4 - Salinity conditions; QE3-1-5 - Acidification status; QE3-1-6 - Nutrient conditions; QE3-1-6-1 - Nitrogen conditions; QE3-1-6-2 - Phosphorus conditions and QE3-3 - River Basin Specific Pollutants.

Read more

The chart shows the average Eutrophication Ratio for the entire Baltic for each year from 1900 to 2200, as well as a 5-year moving average. The eutrophication ratio is calculated by the HEAT tool. A value above 1 indicates that there is a Eutrophic status. A value below 1 indicate a good (non-eutrophic status).

Read more

Currently, the ocean takes up about one quarter of global CO 2 emissions from human activities. The uptake of CO 2 in the sea causes ocean acidification, as the pH of sea water declines. Ocean surface pH declined from 8.2 to below 8.1 over the industrial era as a result of an increase in atmospheric CO 2 concentrations. This decline corresponds to an increase in oceanic acidity of about 30 %. In recent decades, ocean acidification has been occurring 100 times faster than during natural events over the past 55 million years. These rapid chemical changes are an added pressure on marine ecosystems. Observed reductions in surface water pH are nearly identical across the global ocean and throughout European seas, except for variations near coasts. The reduction in pH in the northernmost European seas, i.e. the Norwegian Sea and the Greenland Sea, is larger than the global average. Ocean acidification has wide-ranging impacts on marine ecosystems. A reduction in carbonate availability reduces the rate of calcification of marine calcifying organisms, such as reef-building corals, shellfish and plankton. Ocean acidification has already affected the deep ocean, particularly at high latitudes. Changes in pH affect biological processes, e.g. enzyme activities and photosynthesis, which in turn affects primary production. These changes may be exacerbated by rising seawater temperatures. Changes in marine primary production will have an impact on the global carbon cycle and the absorption of atmospheric CO 2 in the ocean, as well as on the overall capacity of ocean to mitigate climate change. effectsModels consistently project further ocean acidification worldwide. Ocean surface pH is projected to decrease to values between 8.05 and 7.75 by the end of the 21st century, depending on future CO 2 emission levels. The largest projected decline represents more than a doubling in acidity. The combined effects of elevated seawater temperatures, deoxygenation and acidification are expected to have negative effects on entire marine ecosystems and cause changes in food webs and marine production, and will also result in economic losses.

Read more

Read more

The chart compares the results of the Cumulative Effect Assessment with the results of the Ecosystem Health Status (MESH+) Assessment and EU Water Framwork Directive ecological status (2016).

Read more