The EEA,its organisational network
EIONETand ETC/TE
Martha Wepner
Umweltbundesamt
European Topic Centre on Terrestrial Environment
Szentendre, 17 November 2003
Outline
• EEA
• Reporting
• Networking EIONET
What are NFPs/NRCs
What are ETCs
• ETC/TE and its contribution to the soil work program
EEA, EIONET, ETC/TEOutline
European Environment Agency - EEA
• one of 11 specialised European Union Agencies
• EEC Regulation 1210/1990
• Operational since 1994
• European Reference Centre for environmental information
http://www.eea.eu.int
EEA
EEA
The EEA mission statement
‘EEA aims to support sustainable development and to help achieve significant and measurable
improvement in Europe’s environment, through the provision of timely, targeted, relevant and reliable information to policy making agents
and the public.’
EEA
EEA
What are the objectives of the mandate?
To provide environmental information
• Helping the Community and member countries to identify effective environmental measures and assess its actual and expected progress
• Maintaining and coordinating the EIONET based on shared information
EEA
EEA
Who are EEA's clients?
• Institution level:European Commission, Parliament, Council, EEA member countries
• General public:NGOs, business, media, advisory, groups/persons, debaters and the policy engaged public
EEA
EEA
EEA
EEA
Main tasks
• networking
• monitoring and reporting
Main products
• EEA publications
• the Agency’s website (www.eea.eu.int)
EEA
EEA
Reporting cycle
• Broad integrated assessments(Five-year state & trends reports, eg. Kiev)
• Indicator based reports(yearly Signals Report, TERM report)
• Specific issue reports(eg. Greenhouse gases, GMOs)
• Best practices(eg. Wastewater treatment report)
• Frameworks, guidelines or databases
EEA - reporting
Reporting
EEA
EEA’s networking partners
• EIONET partners in 31 member countries
• Co-ordinated activities within EC services and programmes
• International Organisations (UNEP, UNECE, WHO, OECD and WMO)
EEA - networking
Networking
EEA
EEA - networking
Networking
EEA
EIONET
• European Environment Information and Observation Network
• more than 300 national institutions National Focal Point (1 per country) National Reference Centre (various topics) Main Component Elements European Topic Centre (5)
EEA - networking
Networking
EEA
Role of NFPs
• Co-ordinate Member State input to EEA work programme
• Build telematics network in Member State
• Co-ordinate data flows to ETCs and for EEA reports
• Motivate NRCs and MCEs
• Appointed by member countries
National Focal Points
Networking
EEA
Role of NRCs/MCEs• Provide data to ETCs and EEA
• Advice on technical aspects to ETC work programme
• Comment and review EEA and ETCs reports
• Maintain telematics network connection and data flows
• Share experience with other NRCs/MCEs
National Reference Centre
Networking
EEA
Role of ETCs
• Work under contract to EEA
• Deliver reports, databases, networks
• Improve comparability of data
• Advise on plugging data gaps
• Support DG Environment on Implementation
• Represent EEA in various forums
European Topic Centre - ETC
Networking
ETC
Objectives
• To provide policy relevant information on past trends, current state and prospective development (of land and soil) in Europe
• To support legislative frameworks
• To support EEA enlargement
European Topic Centre - ETC
Networking
ETC
Structure
• Consortia with one leading institution
• 5 ETCs ETC/TE
ETC/W
ETC/ACC
ETC/WMF
ETC/NPB
European Topic Centre - ETC
Networking
ETC
ETC/TE
• Priority areas Soil degradation
Land use
Urban environment
Coastal environment
http://terrestrial.eionet.eu.int
European Topic Centre on Terrestrial Environment
ETC/TE
Structure
ETC/TE
Background
ETC/TE
Terrestrial Environment
Marine and Coastal Environment
Soil
Land Cover
Mission
• How do we fulfil our mission? – Integrated assessments
• DPSIR chain – Environmental indicators
• Land cover changes• Soil degradation• Impact on land (e.g. fragmentation)
– Support to EU & international policy frameworks (e.g. Soil Thematic Strategy)
ETC/TE
Soil issues
ETC/TE • Local soil contamination
– Contamination from point sources (waste disposal, industrial activities, mining sites, military sites, accidents, etc.)
• Diffuse soil contamination– Contaminants transported over wide areas (including heavy metals,
acidification, nutrients surplus – eutrophication, etc.)
• Soil sealing– Covering of soil due to urbanisation, infrastacture construction
Soil issues
ETC/TE • Development of soil indicators since 1996– In course of ETC/S and ETC/TE
• EIONET workshops 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003– Discussions/agreement on indicators and definitions– Data requests – Development of core set of indicators (3 indicators on local soil
contamination)– Reporting on soil
• EIONET data request 2003 – Local soil contamination– Diffuse soil contamination– Soil sealing
http://eea.eionet.eu.int:8980/Members/irc/eionet-circle/te/library?l=/soil_collection/collection_contamination&vm=detailed&sb=Title
ETC/TE
Local soil contamination
• Core Set of Indicators (priority data flow)– Management of contaminated sites– Remediation expenditures– Soil polluting activities (incl. hot spot map)
• New indicators (non priority data flow)– Landfills– Mining sites– Remediation activities
• New indicators as a result of discussions
• Main problem: harmonised data, lack of reporting obligation –> EIONET data request 2003
Local soilcontamination
How much progress is done in the management of contaminated sites?
ETC/TE
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
[%]
remediation activities implemented
main site investigation
preliminary investigation
preliminary survey
Local soilcontamination
What are the major sources of contamination?
0
20
40
60
80
100
Sweden
(bc)
Spain
(d)
Romania
Nether
lands
Lithu
ania
Liech
tens
tein
(a)
Hungar
y
Germ
any (
2) (bc
)
Finlan
d
Denmar
k (d)
Bulgar
ia (3
)
Belgium
(1)
Austri
a
industrial w aste disposal
others
municipal w aste disposal
accidents
industrial activities
ETC/TE
Local soilcontamination
How much is spent for the remediation of contaminated sites?
€ per capita and year
0,00
5,00
10,00
15,00
20,00
25,00
30,00
35,00
1999
2000
0,00
0,20
0,40
0,60
Romania (d) Spain (c) Germany (b)
ETC/TE
Local soilcontamination
How much is spent for the remediation of contaminated sites?
Source: CLC 1990 and ESRI Population Density
ETC/TE
Local soilcontamination
Thank you for your attention!