EEA bids to revitalise green integration debate

Environment Daily 1938, 12/09/05

Key EU environmental targets including for greenhouse gas emissions and renewable energy could be missed, the European environment agency

(EEA) says in a new report.  "European environment outlook" looks at what the state of the environment might be in the EU-25 states in 2010 and beyond.

Speaking at the report launch, EEA executive director Jaqueline McGlade said that successful responses to future challenges will depend on whether environmental issues are integrated across EU policies.  The EU's Cardiff process is meant to achieve exactly this but has been flagging in the last few years.

The report compares projections with targets set in the EU's sixth environment action programme.  It notes, for example, that in the 2008-2012 period greenhouse gas emissions are expected to be less than 3% below 1990 levels, compared with the EU's Kyoto target of minus 8%.

Renewable energy is projected to supply 7.5% of total energy use by 2010, compared with a targeted 12%.

The report predicts a shift in the nature of environmental pressure from production towards consumption, and from "large point" pollution sources to more diffuse ones including households and agriculture. It suggests that the number of households could grow by 20%, creating a rise in energy consumption, water use and waste generation.

Emissions of nitrogen and phosphorus are expected to drop following implementation of the urban wastewater treatment directive and the fact that more people will be connected to wastewater treatment in coming years. But the challenge will be to reduce nutrient discharges from diffuse sources such as agriculture, not from sewage plants which is now considered to be under control.

Follow-up: EEA http://www.eea.eu.int/main_html,  

press release http://org.eea.eu.int/documents/newsreleases/outlook-en

and the report http://reports.eea.eu.int/eea_report_2005_4/en.