EEA Nwwsletter
Issue 2018/3, 17 September 2018
pict Your quarterly update on Europe's environment
pict Editorial | Interview | Indicators & data | EEA news | In the spotlight | Upcoming events
 

Editorial

 
 

Understanding and acting on the complexity of climate change

"Climate change is one of the most important challenges of our time. Its impacts are felt across the globe, affecting people, nature and the economy. To mitigate climate change, we need to reduce global emissions of greenhouse gases significantly. Translating this overall objective into concrete measures requires understanding a complex system linking emissions from different sources to national and regional impacts, global governance and potential co-benefits. The European Environment Agency strives to continuously improve the knowledge needed for designing effective measures on the ground."

Hans Bruyninckx, Executive Director

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  Interview  
 

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

"All of us can do things to reduce our own exposure to mercury and also in preventing releases of mercury into the environment. For example, national food safety authorities often provide specific advice on how citizens can maximise the health benefits of eating fish while limiting exposure to mercury. This includes guidance on consumption of fish for pregnant women and young children."

Interview with Ian Marnane on mercury pollution and its effects, as well as on the EEA's work on this issue.  

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  Indicators & data  
 

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Air quality: EEA data dashboard on air quality statistics, interactive map on up-to-date air quality data, air pollutant emissions data viewer (Gothenburg Protocol, LRTAP Convention) 1990-2016; National Emission Ceilings (NEC) Directive emission inventory data.

 

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Biodiversity-ecosystems: EEA indicators on the sites designated under the EU nature directives and on the abundance and distribution of selected species, dataset on the European Red Lists of species.

 

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Climate change: EEA indicator on emissions and supply of fluorinated greenhouse gases and dataset on the European Union Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) - data from EUTL.

 

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Environment and health: EEA indicator on population exposure to environmental noise and dataset on noise exposure covered by Directive 2002/49/EC.

 

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Industry: New dataset on the European Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (E-PRTR)

 

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Land use: EEA indicator on land recycling and densification.

 

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Transport: Dataset on the Fuel Quality Directive.

 

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Water and marine environment: WISE WFD Database (Water Framework Directive Database)

 
 
  EEA news  
 

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Vote for your favourite WaterPIX finalist photos

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

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Europe continues to phase out substances harmful to the ozone layer under the Montreal Protocol

Overall efforts to reduce the use of chemicals harming the ozone layer across the European Union continued in 2017 and the EU has already achieved its goals on the phase-out of ozone-depleting substances under the Montreal Protocol, according to the latest data. Read more

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Integrating circular economy and bioeconomy would improve sustainability in Europe

Europe uses natural resources unsustainably and the European Union has put in place policies on circular economy and bioeconomy in response. A new EEA report argues that implementing these two concepts in tandem would improve resource efficiency and reduce environmental pressures. Read more

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Air pollution: agriculture and transport emissions continue to pose problems in meeting agreed limits

Emissions from agriculture and transport continue to pose problems for European Union Member States in meeting EU and United Nations air pollution limits, according to updated data published by the EEA. While emissions of most air pollutants remain on a downward trend, ammonia emissions continued to rise in 2016. Read more

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Countries give only limited information on the results of their policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions

Most national policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Europe target energy consumption and energy supply, while economic and regulatory instruments are the most common means of cutting emissions, according to an EEA report. The report also reveals that EU Member States report the actual effects and costs for only a small number of their policies and measures. Read more

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European waters getting cleaner, but big challenges remain

Despite progress in improving the quality of Europe’s lakes, rivers, coastal waters and groundwater sources, pollution, structures like dams, and over-abstraction remain top threats to their long-term health. A vast majority of Europe’s water bodies still fail to meet the European Union’s minimum target for ‘good status’, according to EEA's ‘state of water’ report. Read more

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Product reuse and longer lifespans hold untapped potential to cut waste in Europe

Reuse of products can reduce material demand and prevent waste, which are important aspects of EU waste policy and essential for achieving a circular economy. However, current approaches to promote reuse in Member States are diverse and rely mostly on voluntary arrangements. While reuse is an established market model for some products, such as cars, similar practices are still in their infancy for most other product groups. Read more

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  In the spotlight: EEA Signals on Water  
 

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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 EEA's 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. Read more

Help us improve our work by taking our two-minute survey and letting us know what you think about Signals 2018. Thank you in advance for your feedback and suggestions.

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  Upcoming events  
 

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18-21 September 2018 -- INSPIRE users: Make it work together, Antwerp, Belgium

In more than 250 presentations and workshops, spatial data specialists with an academic, public or private sector background, share their latest insights and experiences. Read more

 

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20-21 September 2018 -- EU Water conference 2018, Vienna, Austria

The 5th European Water Conference will be an occasion to review progress on implementating EU water legislation. The event is jointly organised by the European Commission's Directorate-General for the Environment and the Austrian EU Presidency. Read more

 

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22-23 November 2018 -- 7th European Environmental Evaluators Network Forum, Brussels, Belgium

This year’s EEEN Forum will focus on the impact of the evaluating environment and climate policies. Read more

 

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3-14 December 2018 -- Conference of the Parties (COP24) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, Katowice, Poland

COP24 will focus on adopting a package of decisions ensuring the full implementation of the Paris Agreement and include the so-called Facilitative Dialogue intended to support the implementation of national commitments. Read more

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