European Environment — State and Outlook 2015 Report shows benefits of EU action

A new report published today shows that a coordinated EU environment policy has delivered substantial benefits for citizens over the past five years. Europeans enjoy cleaner air and water, send less waste to landfill and recycle more; while environmental policies drive jobs and growth. But the report warns that Europe’s long-term goal of “living well, within the limits of our planet” – the aim of the General Union Environment Action Programme (7th EAP)– cannot be achieved with the current level of ambition of environment and related policies.

The European Environment — State and Outlook 2015 Report (SOER 2015) prepared by the European Environment Agency is an integrated assessment of Europe’s environment that includes data at global, regional and country levels, as well as cross country comparisons. It also looks at the next five years and beyond and sends a clear warning of the risks of environmental deterioration, in turn affecting human well-being and prosperity. The analysis calls for more integrated policy making – a call the Commission is responding to with a series of environmental initiatives for 2015, including a new, broader package on the Circular Economy, a review of the EU Biodiversity Strategy, an action plan on Ocean Governance and a modified Air Quality package

[:]