EEA Nwwsletter
Issue 2018/4, 17 December 2018
pict Your quarterly update on Europe's environment
pict Editorial | Interview | Indicators & data | EEA news | In the spotlight | Upcoming events
 

Editorial

 
 

EEA: 25 years of growing knowledge to support European environment policies

"It is evident that the environmental and climate challenges of the 21st century can no longer be analysed or addressed without taking into account socio-economic trends in Europe and across the world. In these times of complex and global interactions, producing timely and relevant analysis at different geographic and time scales as well as accurate projections remains as challenging as ever. In this light, the EEA together with Eionet will continue to invest in reporting and knowledge systems and support decision making in Europe and globally."

Hans Bruyninckx, Executive Director

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  Interview  
 

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Electric vehicles: a smart choice for the environment

"It is very important to say that no car will ever be 100 % clean. The arrival of the electric car does not change that. What we are saying is that if you really need to use a car, an electric car is the better choice for the environment. However, using public transport or simply walking or cycling to work will always be much better for the environment. A car is still a car; replacing one with another type is not going to solve transport problems like congestion."

Interview with Andreas Unterstaller on electric cars based on the EEA's recent report on transport and environment.  

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  Indicators & data  
 

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Air quality: EEA indicators on emissions of the main air pollutants in Europe, exceedance of air quality standards in urban areas, and exposure of ecosystems to acidification, eutrophication and ozone, heavy metal emissions, and persistent organic pollutant emissions.

 

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Biodiversity-ecosystems: EEA indicators on the sites designated under the EU nature directives, the abundance and distribution of selected species and ecosystem coverage,; and datasets on the European Red Lists of species and nationally designated areas.

 

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Climate change: EEA indicators on emissions and supply of fluorinated greenhouse gases, and Arctic and Baltic sea ice; and datasets on the EU Emissions Trading System (data from EUTL) and approximated estimates for greenhouse gas emissions and Member States' emission projections; and data dashboard on national policies and measures on climate change mitigation.

 

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Energy: Dataset for approximated estimates for the share of gross final consumption of renewable energy sources in 2017.

 

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Environment and health: EEA indicator on population exposure to environmental noise; and reported data on noise exposure.

 

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Industry: EEA indicator on industrial pollution in Europe; reported data on large combustion plants covered by the Industrial Emissions Directive and 2018 country profiles on industrial pollution.

 

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Land use: EEA indicator on land recycling and densification.

 

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Transport: EEA indicators on final energy consumption by mode of transport, greenhouse gas emissions from transport exceedances of air quality limit values due to traffic, passenger and freight transport demand, use of renewable fuels in transport, emissions of air pollutants from transport, size of vehicle fleet, transport fuel prices and taxes, real change in transport prices by mode; and dataset on the Fuel Quality Directive.

 

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Water and marine environment: EEA indicator on use of freshwater resources; datasets from Waterbase on emissions, and water quantity and quality, WISE EIONET spatial datasets and WISE Water Framework Directive reference spatial datasets; and interactive map on water exploitation index plus.

 
 
  EEA news  
 

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Achieving EU's key 2020 environmental objectives slipping away

The European Union continues to fall short of achieving a number of environmental objectives by 2020, especially in areas aimed at protecting biodiversity and natural capital. When it comes to 'boosting sustainable, resource-efficient, low-carbon economy', trends and outlooks cause more concern compared to the assessment from last year. Read more

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Trends and Projections in Europe - Progress towards EU targets for greenhouse gas emissions, renewable energy and energy efficiency

Progress on increasing the use of renewable energy and improving energy efficiency is slowing across the European Union, putting at risk the EU’s ability to achieve its energy and emissions reduction targets. Read more

Greenhouse gas emissions across the EU rose slightly in 2017, mostly because of the transport sector. Read more

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EEA report confirms: electric cars are better for climate and air quality

Battery electric cars emit less greenhouse gases and air pollutants over their entire life cycle than petrol and diesel cars. Promoting renewable energy and circular economy — including the shared use of vehicles and product design that supports reuse and recycling — will help maximise the benefits of shifting to electric vehicles. Read more

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Air pollution still too high across Europe

Despite slow improvements, air pollution continues to exceed European Union and World Health Organization limits and guidelines, according to updated data and information published by the European Environment Agency. Air pollution still poses a danger to human health and the environment. Read more

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EU reaches the Aichi target of protecting ten percent of Europe's seas

A total of 10.8 % of the surface of Europe’s seas was designated as marine protected areas by the end of 2016, according to a EEA assessment, published today. This means the EU has reached the global Aichi target of protecting at least 10 % of coastal and marine areas by 2020. Read more

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The list above consists of a selection of key news items published in the last quarter. For the full list, please see EEA website.

 
  In the spotlight: Mercury in Europe's environment  
 

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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. 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. Read more

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  Upcoming events  
 

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4 Jan 2019 -- Oslo European Green Capital opening ceremony

Oslo is the European Green Capital for 2019. Oslo’s approach to conserving its natural areas and restoring its waterway network is just one of the many reasons why it won the European Green Capital Award for 2019. Read more

 

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4 February 2019 -- EEA panel debate on social vulnerability, Brussels, Belgium

EEA Executive Director Hans will present the findings of upcoming EEA report ‘Unequal exposure and unequal impacts: Social vulnerability to air pollution, noise and extreme temperatures in Europe’. Parts of the debate will be streamed live on Facebook. Read more

 

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24-27 February 2019 -- World Resources Forum, Antwerp, Belgium

The general theme for the Forum is ‘Closing Loops – Transitions at work’. WRF 2019 wants to focus on hands-on sharing of best practices. EEA Executive Director will present the EEA's work. Read more

 

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26 March 2019 -- Energy Transition Conference, Trondheim, Norway

This year’'s conference will focus on changing the energy system to build a sustainable society. Read more

 

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13-17 May 2019 -- EU Green Week, Events in Brussels and across the EU

Green Week 2019 will put the implementation of environmental legislation in the spotlight. It will start with an official opening event on 13 May in one of the EU Member States and conclude with a high-level summit in Brussels from 15 to 17 May. Read more

 

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13-17 May 2019 -- Living Planet Symposium, Milan, Italy

The European Space Agency’s 2019 Living Planet Symposium focuses on how Earth Observation contributes to science and society, and how disruptive technologies and actors are changing the traditional Earth Observation landscape. Read more

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