Current work & orientations of 2004 work programme of the EEA Jean-Louis Weber jean-louis.weber@eea.eu.int Working Group on “Environment Statistics”, Eurostat, 10-11 September 2003

EEA Corporate Strategy 2004-2008: Priorities based on the 6th EAP 1. Strategic approaches to providing an information system 2. Action on tackling climate change 3. Action on nature & biodiversity 4. Action on environment & health and quality of life 5. Action on sustainable use & management of natural resources and wastes 6. Action on international issues 7. Crosscutting policy assessment Working Group on “Environment Statistics”, Eurostat, 10-11 September 2003

Working Group on “Environment Statistics”, Main focus Communication Development of capacities for integrated assessments Longer time horizon, scenarios Integrated spatial assessment Integration of SD perspective Streamlining data flows A multi-purposes shared information system Access to indicators and data Data QI/QC Working Group on “Environment Statistics”, Eurostat, 10-11 September 2003

Working Group on “Environment Statistics”, 1. Communication Responsiveness to the policy agenda Flexible reporting, better adapted to the needs of stakeholders and public The website as main tool for dissemination Working Group on “Environment Statistics”, Eurostat, 10-11 September 2003

Working Group on “Environment Statistics”, SOER 2005 1core (summary) report (~100pp) + 8 ”sub-reports” on selected issues European household consumption and the environment Halting the loss of biodiversity The sustainable use and management of natural resources Policy integration Climate change and sustainable energy European environment outlook Europe’s impact on the global environment Environment and health Working Group on “Environment Statistics”, Eurostat, 10-11 September 2003

EEA Signals: Moving towards a modular information system Update annually One page only Graphs, figures, tables SIGNALS 4 pages Stable background information 1 page Translated into all languages EEA Position statement Data Science Opinion Some of the key difficulties encountered while writing the snapshot signals this year were the need to provide background information (e.g. “how are particulates formed?”; “what are biofuels?”) but doing so interupted the flow of the argument and text; and although we wanted to provide an opinion it became clear that we needed to separate the opinion part from the concrete data and information. We also found that there were some components of the signal that needed to be made available,e.g for biofuels the cross links to energy and transport would be useful background but in a single integrated assessment there was no room to mention these.… The modular approach has been proposed as both a solution to these sorts of issues, but also as a way of making our information work harder for us. We can write a single science sheet which will be valid background for several years, while updating a one page data sheet can be done annually. This allows both flexibility in translation ensuring that our messages reach maximim audiences, but also it enables us to mix and match modules to provide the background information needed for any topic. Working Group on “Environment Statistics”, Eurostat, 10-11 September 2003

Communication from Data up to Reports SOER 2005 Summary SOER 2005 sub reports on 6-9 overarching themes Web Environmental Signals Snapshots Environmental Issue Reports Sector Reports Other EEA reports EEA indicators and data service NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL DATA PROVIDERS REPORTNET tools Working Group on “Environment Statistics”, Eurostat, 10-11 September 2003

2. Development of capacities for integrated assessments Longer time horizon, scenarios Prelude Integrated spatial assessment GMES, INSPIRE, CLC2000, Land Accounts Integration of SD perspective GEAR-SD, Environmental Accounting Working Group on “Environment Statistics”, Eurostat, 10-11 September 2003

Working Group on “Environment Statistics”, Objectives of PRELUDE The objectives of the PRELUDE project are … to develop and analyse a set of scenarios that provide insight in the environmental impacts of land use change in a spatially explicit way. to allow evaluate the added value of analysing combined qualitative-quantitative scenarios and involving stakeholders in EEA reporting. Working Group on “Environment Statistics”, Eurostat, 10-11 September 2003

Working Group on “Environment Statistics”, PRELUDE Approach High intensity use Intermediate intensity use Low intensity use Current Situation Scenarios (1) How much? (2) Where? (3) Env. Impacts? Working Group on “Environment Statistics”, Eurostat, 10-11 September 2003

Working Group on “Environment Statistics”, INSPIRE & GMES INSPIRE: towards an infrastructure for geographical information in Europe GMES: global monitoring for environment and security Working Group on “Environment Statistics”, Eurostat, 10-11 September 2003

Example of CLC2000 products (1) Area of Berlin Working Group on “Environment Statistics”, Eurostat, 10-11 September 2003

Example of CLC2000 products (2) Land cover changes 1990-2000 Area of Berlin Working Group on “Environment Statistics”, Eurostat, 10-11 September 2003

Expected status of CLC2000 end 2003 Source: ETC/TE Working Group on “Environment Statistics”, Eurostat, 10-11 September 2003

Use and dissemination of products IMAGE2000/CLC2000 products easily accessible to all users Dissemination by Countries, EEA and Commission services Available at marginal costs for non-commercial use Commercial users through national network Working Group on “Environment Statistics”, Eurostat, 10-11 September 2003

Working Group on “Environment Statistics”, Land Cover Accounts Working Group on “Environment Statistics”, Eurostat, 10-11 September 2003

Sustainable Development at the EEA: GEAR-SD Environment Economy Social GEAR-SD Working Group on “Environment Statistics”, Eurostat, 10-11 September 2003

Working Group on “Environment Statistics”, Guidelines for environmental assessment and reporting in the context of SD (GEAR-SD) GEAR-SD is not a set of indicators, although sets of indicators are part of the system It is framework for assessing sustainable development and environment issues as well as communicating about them. The ambition is to organise information in a way that facilitates the benchmarking of performances and projects at the various levels of policy making against the overall European perspective. Working Group on “Environment Statistics”, Eurostat, 10-11 September 2003

The GEAR-SD check-list: 8 key questions Inter-generational equity: provide future generations the same environmental potential as the current one Decoupling: economic growth to be less natural resource intensive and less polluting Sector integration: better integration of sectoral and environmental policies Adaptability: maintain and enhance the adaptive capacity of the environmental system Avoid irreversible damage: avoid irreversible and long term environmental damage to ecosystems and human health Distributional equity: avoid imposing unfair or high environmental burden on vulnerable population categories Global responsibility: assume responsibility for the environmental effects outside the EU geographic area SD governance: rules, processes and practices at all levels of governance Working Group on “Environment Statistics”, Eurostat, 10-11 September 2003

3. Streamlining data flows A multi-purposes shared information system Access to indicators and data Data QI/QC Working Group on “Environment Statistics”, Eurostat, 10-11 September 2003

THE EEA CORE SET OF INDICATORS WEB publishing Signals Other EEA reports EEA CORE SET EEA CORE SET WTR ACC TE NPB WMF Trans Energy Agri Tour Operational indicators = Short term priority Operational indicators = Short term priority Background Indicators Background Indicators WTR ACC TE NPB WMF Trans Energy Agri Tour Eurostat REPORTNET REPORTNET Data Sets Data Sets INSPIRE / GMES - - Working Group on “Environment Statistics”, Eurostat, 10-11 September 2003

Working Group on “Environment Statistics”, Reportnet – contributing to a shared European Environment Information System policy relevant assessments transparent information management Common validation and aggregation harmonised collection This slide shows the principles of the Reportnet system, which EEA develops together with its EIONET network partners. These principles are shared with other partners in the field of environmental reporting and policy making. The process for this - which is under development - is the shared European Environment Information System (EEIS) The principles are applied in development of tools within functional areas. These are displayed on the next slide. provide once use many Working Group on “Environment Statistics”, Eurostat, 10-11 September 2003

Reportnet – EEAs framework for Environmental data exchange DG Environment‘s initiative on review of reporting is supported by streamlining data flows Functions are underpinned by several IT tools in the 8 functional areas Content is built along EEA‘s priority data flow areas. These will be extended based on the outcome of the core set of indicator discussion This slides show the functions supported by the IT tools. Most of the tools are operational and increasingly used by the member countries. A grey arrow is been used to show a typical dataflow: A reporting obligation defines the input to the system A data dictionary describes all the necessary data elements and their definitions The data exchange modules facilitate the electronic exchange and validation of the national deliveries, (HARMONISED COLLECTION) These are provided ONCE to a national repository where other clients can pick them up (MANY USERS) The European datasets are provided through European repositories after COMMON VALIDATION AND AGGREGATION Proper indicator management (selection, description, handling) assures POLICY RELEVANT ASSESSMENT In addition to these main flow functions: a network directory is needed to maintain all players and their roles a meta data component (content registry) keeps the overview of what is flowing Together with the other functions, these ensure TRANSPARENT INFORMATION MANAGEMENT Working Group on “Environment Statistics”, Eurostat, 10-11 September 2003

Organisation of Data flows and QC/QI Contribution of the EEA to Structural Indicators GHGs & Air Quality Contribution of the EEA to the Joint Questionnaire 2002 & 2004 Idem plus Water Nature, Marine, Land Waste and Material Flows Common issues Working Group on “Environment Statistics”, Eurostat, 10-11 September 2003

Waste and material flows in 2004 Assistance to DG Env in development of Thematic Strategy on Waste Recycling Evaluation of policy effectiveness (pilot on waste packaging directive) Indicator development (incl. indicators of policy effectiveness and decoupling) Development of scenarios and outlooks State and Outlook Report 2005 Working Group on “Environment Statistics”, Eurostat, 10-11 September 2003

Waste and material flows in 2004 Assistance to Eurostat in pilot studies on Waste Statistics regulation (eg. evaluation of pilot studies, participation in development of handbook on waste statistics, methodology for data collection etc…) Specific waste stream analysis (End of Life Vehicles and Sewage Sludge) Discussion with countries about their needs for assistance and streamlining of reporting Working Group on “Environment Statistics”, Eurostat, 10-11 September 2003

Waste and material flows in 2004 Description / quantification of flows of materials through the economy using MFA (eg. Zero study portraying the use of resources in the EU, as assistance to DG Env in TS on Sustainable Use of Resources) Analysis of link between resource use and material flows (including waste) and environmental impacts. Development of methodology for prioritisation of resource streams (for DG Env) Working Group on “Environment Statistics”, Eurostat, 10-11 September 2003

Waste and material flows in 2004 Development of EEA strategy for further work on MFA and management of resources EEA proposals to Eurostat: Workshop on MFA for the national statistical offices Inter-service MFA Information Clearinghouse (concept paper under preparation, to be discussed with Eurostat and DG Env) Working Group on “Environment Statistics”, Eurostat, 10-11 September 2003

Common issues on data flows QC/QI: need to keep the track of statistical processing of monitoring data Shared information system as basic tool, incl. for filling in the Joint Questionnaire Needs of improved cooperation at the international level as well as between EIONET and the National Statistical Institutes Working Group on “Environment Statistics”, Eurostat, 10-11 September 2003