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!