Third EEA report shows bleak picture of Europe's environment

Published: Tuesday 13 May 2003

On 12 May, the European Environment Agency published its third assessment of the state of the environment in Europe. Although several improvements have been made, European leaders have still not learned to decouple environmental pressures from economic growth.

Background:

The European Environment Agency (EEA) published its "Europe's Environment: the third assessment" in time for the "Environment for Europe" ministerial conference taking place in Kiev, Ukraine, on 21-23 May under the auspices of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). The report is the most comprehensive up-to-date overview currently available of the state of the environment in 52 countries in Europe. In contrast to previous reports issued in 1995 and 1998, it includes for the first time the entire Russian Federation and the 11 other Eastern European, Caucasian and Central Asian (EECCA) states.

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The 341-page report shows several improvements and reduced pressures, but the overall message of the report is less upbeat. Most of the progress has been achieved as a result of economic recession and economic restructuring (esp. the decline of heavy industries in Eastern and Central Europe), and could be threatened if renewed economic growth "continues to be based on traditional, environmentally damaging activities, still prevalent, rather than on more sustainable, eco-efficient options," said Gordon McInnes, EEA Interim Executive Director.

The reports highlights the following improvements:

big cuts in substances that deplete the ozone layer;
reductions of acidifying emissions to air and water;
improvements in protection of habitats of biologically important plant and animal species;
reductions of greenhouse gas emissions.

On the negative side, the report identifies the following worsening trends and challenges:

biodiversity is threatened in Central and Eastern Europe;
increased pressure on fish stocks, top soil and land;
transport growth (esp. in Eastern and Central Europe) is developing in an unsustainable way, by giving priority to road and aviation instead of more environmentally-friendly modes of transport.

Positions:

The EEA underlines that more integration of environmental considerations into all sectoral decision-making processes is needed if sustainable development is to be achieved. The report says "integration initiatives at the EU level have so far had only a minor impact on the more fundamental problems to be addressed. The EU integration process has lacked urgency and has yet to have a significant impact on sectoral policymaking. At the Member State level, few strategies are yet beyond the stage of formulation, and few have yet clearly demonstrated positive outcomes."