Press releases

More than one out of five Europeans are exposed to harmful long-term noise from road, rail and air transport. Published today, European Environment Agency’s (EEA) briefing shows that this noise exposure leads to over half a million children suffering from impaired reading ability and almost 60,000 having behavioural difficulties in Europe.

Just under 240,000 deaths per year in the European Union can be attributed to exposure to fine particulate matter, a key air pollutant, according to the latest European Environment Agency (EEA) air quality health impact assessment published today as the new EU rules enter into force. The latest data also confirm, yet again, that Europeans remain exposed to air pollutant concentrations considerably above recommended World Health Organization (WHO) levels. A separate assessment also found that nearly three quarters of Europe’s ecosystems are exposed to damaging levels of air pollution.

Concerns about PFAS pollution have increased in many European countries but comprehensive monitoring data are often limited. Published today, the European Environment Agency’s (EEA) assessment shows that most monitored rivers, transitional and coastal waters and a large part of lakes in Europe are polluted with at least one of the many extremely persistent chemical compounds that are deemed harmful for people and nature.

Europe has set ambitious goals to create a competitive circular economy that can be key in supporting innovation, decarbonisation and security. The transition is also needed to halt biodiversity loss and wasteful use of natural resources. Published today, two briefings from the European Environment Agency show the status of circular economy and highlight the need for improving recycling quality.

Europe’s water is under pressure from pollution, over-use, habitat degradation and increasing impacts of climate change. Improving the resilience and health of Europe’s lakes, rivers and groundwaters is an urgent priority to secure good-quality water for people and nature.

Amid increased and devastating impacts of climate change and continuing degradation of our nature, the European Union must redouble its efforts to stay the course on its climate and environment policies and ambitions. Sticking to the European Green Deal is the right thing to do, Leena Ylä-Mononen, the European Environment Agency’s (EEA) Executive Director, will say in a keynote speech today in Brussels, adding its policies not only protect the environment but also contribute to the EU’s competitiveness and security priorities, and can help to build a fairer, healthier society.

A hedgehog out for a nighttime walk, a moody shot of commuters crossing a misty bridge in Portugal and a vertical garden in Spain are just a few of the outstanding winners of this year’s ‘Urban Treasures’ European Environment Agency (EEA) photo competition announced today.

Collecting timely and reliable data on the number of deaths and illnesses associated with heat are vital to deploy targeted emergency responses during heatwaves. Twenty of the European Environment Agency’s (EEA) 38 member and cooperating countries currently monitor heat impacts on health, according to an EEA briefing published today.

Increased use of wind turbines in coastal zones to provide Europe with renewable energy is a crucial element in decarbonizing Europe’s economy and in meeting its climate and energy targets. The placement of these turbines should also carefully consider potential impacts on marine ecosystems, according to a European Environment Agency (EEA) briefing published today.

Chronic respiratory disease is one of the leading causes of death in Europe, and more than a third of these deaths are estimated to be caused by environmental factors that are preventable. According to a European Environment Agency (EEA) report, published today, key interventions include reducing pollution, energy poverty, and occupational exposures.

As Europe strives to lower greenhouse gas emissions and decouple economic growth from resource consumption, various social groups and regions face unequal challenges. According to a report by the European Environment Agency (EEA) published today, ensuring justice in sustainability transitions requires combining corrective measures to address potentially regressive social consequences of the green transition with participatory decision-making processes, and recognition of different cultures, values and capabilities.

Total net greenhouse gas emissions in the European Union dropped by 8% last year, marking significant progress towards climate neutrality for the EU. The huge drop was led by a significant decline in coal use and growth of renewable energy sources and supported by reduced energy consumption across Europe, according to estimated figures included in the latest European Environment Agency (EEA) ‘Trends and Projections’ report published today. The annual EEA check-up on EU progress on its energy and climate targets stresses that EU Member States will need to sustain this rate of progress to achieve Europe’s climate and energy targets.

Cast your vote by 13 November and help us pick the winner of this year’s Public Choice Award for the 2024 ‘Urban Treasures’ European Environment Agency (EEA) photo competition. The EEA has shortlisted 41 entries out of 1300 pictures submitted from across Europe for final top prize consideration.

Scaling up biodiversity-friendly farming practices can help to build sustainability and resilience in the farming sector, according to a European Environment Agency (EEA) briefing published today.

Pollution, habitat degradation, impacts of climate change, and the over-use of freshwater resources are putting pressure on Europe’s lakes, rivers, coastal waters and groundwaters like never before. According to the largest assessment on the health of Europe’s water bodies, published today by the European Environment Agency (EEA), Europe is not on track to meet its targets to improve the health of waters under EU rules. Better water management is key to improve water resilience, to alleviate pressures on water and to ensure European citizens, nature and industry have enough good-quality water.

The EU is making progress towards climate neutrality but reductions in greenhouse gas emissions from transport are relatively stagnant. According to a report by the European Environment Agency (EEA), published today, the transport sector’s transition towards sustainability is made difficult by the increasing transport demand and sluggish growth in sustainable transport modes for moving both people and freight.

What is the material footprint of key European consumption sectors? While the overall material footprint — or the amount of raw materials extracted from nature in and outside of the EU to deliver goods and services — remained stable over the past decade, more measures need to be taken to reduce resource consumption in the housing and food sectors, according to a European Environment Agency analysis published today.

Construction, use and demolition of buildings causes major environment and climate pressures but smart renovations that focus on efficient use of energy and resources can help Europe increase the sustainability of its housing sector, according to a European Environment Agency (EEA) report published today.

Reducing the use of PFAS — known as forever chemicals — in clothing, furniture and other textile products, is important to increase recyclability and the transition to a more circular economy according to a European Environment Agency (EEA) briefing, published today.

Today, 16 September, is World Ozone Day to mark the Montreal Protocol to phase out environmentally harmful ozone-depleting substances (ODS). The consumption of ODS covered by the Montreal Protocol has declined in the EU and worldwide by about 99% from 1986 to 2023. The remaining 1% reflects some industrial processes, firefighting, laboratory and analytical uses where alternatives are not yet widely available.

Published today, European Environment Agency’s (EEA) updated European city air quality viewer shows that people in Uppsala and Umeå, Sweden, and Faro, Portugal, can enjoy the cleanest city air in Europe. Three out of four Europeans live in urban areas and most of them are exposed to unsafe levels of air pollution. Improving air quality to levels recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) could significantly reduce premature deaths caused by air pollution.

Europe’s regional seas are generally in poor condition which threatens the long-term competitiveness and sustainability of the European fishing industry. Overfishing, bycatch and habitat degradation drive the decline of marine biodiversity in Europe’s seas, together with pressures from eutrophication, pollution and climate change. The European Environment Agency’s (EEA) briefing, published today, shows that there are proven, beneficial measures that can improve the situation, if successfully implemented.

How can Europe stay the course on sustainability amid shocks and crises? How do we anchor environment and climate priorities with other emerging ones like security, competitiveness and fairness without losing sight of the long-term sustainability objective of ‘living well within the limits of our planet’? A new strategic foresight report, published by the European Environment Agency (EEA) today, calls for the need to further align European economic, social and security policies with the climate and environmental objectives.

While European countries have made considerable progress in putting in place policies to adapt to climate change, the pace and scale of adaptation actions need to increase and widen to cover more areas like the health, agriculture, and forestry sectors. A European Environment Agency (EEA) review of the EU’s Climate-ADAPT online platform, published today, shows that sharing examples of adaptation actions can boost learning across the EU, Member States as well as regional and local authorities to help societies better prepare for climate change.

Key air pollutant emissions targeted for reductions and monitored under EU legislation continued to decline across most EU Member States according to the latest data assessment published by the European Environment Agency (EEA) today. However, reducing ammonia emissions remains a problem.