The EEA's European Environment – State and Outlook 2020 Report (SOER 2020) emphasises that cities are key drivers of change when it comes to wider sustainability transitions across Europe. Cities are hubs of creativity, innovation and learning and have the capacity to effect systemic changes acr...

The European Maritime Transport Environmental Report (EMTER) provides a factual analysis of the environmental pressures exerted by the maritime transport sector, presents up-to-date information on the relevant EU and international environmental standards and describes current and future actions ...

Plastics play an essential role in modern society, but also lead to significant impacts on the environment and climate. Reducing such impacts while retaining the usefulness of plastics requires a shift towards a more circular and sustainable plastics system. This report tells the story of plasti...

People’s awareness of air pollution and the associated risks to their health and that of their children has grown significantly over recent years, often informed by local or national campaigns led by non-governmental organisations (NGOs) as well as by media coverage. In some countries, groups of...

In 2020, the urgent need to improve the resilience of European society and economy to shocks of unprecedented scale became obvious in the light of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The public health crisis showed that — despite plenty of early warnings — Europe is unprepared and ...

The Air quality in Europe report series from the European Environment Agency presents annual assessments of Europe's air pollutant emissions and concentrations as well as associated impacts on health and the environment. The annual assessments are based on official data available from countries....

Action on environment and climate goals has received significant attention within the Eastern Partnership (EaP) initiative. As a specific regional dimension of the European Neighbourhood Policy, the EaP aims to strengthen and deepen the political and economic relations between the EU, its Member...

The EU nature directives — i.e. the Habitats and Birds Directives — coordinate conservation efforts for more than 2 000 species and habitats across the EU Member States with the aim of maintaining them at or restoring them to a favourable conservation status. This report describes the state of n...

Nearly 15 years after the launch of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) Horizon 2020 initiative, we take stock of the progress achieved towards a cleaner Mediterranean, against the backdrop of the socio‑economic, geopolitical and structural changes the region has witnessed during this time. Ha...

Nature provides the basis for the good health and well-being of the European population. Clean air, water and food are essential for sustaining life; natural environments provide space for recreation, relaxation and social interaction; and raw materials feed into our production systems to provid...