The main aim of EU water policy is to ensure that a sufficient quantity of good-quality water is available for both people's needs and the environment. The Water Framework Directive (WFD), which came into force in 2000, established a framework for the assessment, management, protection and...

Action 5 of the EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020 foresees that Member States will, with the assistance of the Commission, map and assess the state of ecosystems and their services in their national territory by 2014. This report provides operational guidance to the EU and the Member States on...

Action 5 of the EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020 foresees that Member States will, with the assistance of the Commission, map and assess the state of ecosystems and their services in their national territory by 2014. This report provides operational guidance to the EU and the Member States on...

Greenhouse gases covered by the UNFCCC Kyoto Protocol include amongst others, three groups of fluorinated greenhouse gases (F-gases): hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs) and sulphur hexafluoride (SF6). These F-gases have very long lifetimes in the atmosphere and high global...

The Europe 2020 strategy is the European Union's strategy for economic growth in Europe over the next decade. This strategy envisages the development of a 'greener', more environmentally friendly economy in Europe. Sustainable water management is a critical element of this green economy because...

Water plays a central role in the functioning of the biosphere and in supporting all life. Freshwater ecosystems are particularly important, providing a unique and diverse array of services upon which human society depends. These services include 'provisioning' services, such as the provision of...

The enlargement of the European Union from 15 to 28 Member States over the next decade has been described as the greatest task facing this generation of Europeans. The EEA Expert Group on Guidelines and State-of-the-Environment Reporting, which brings together state-of-the-environment reporters...