Eurostat UNSC 2013 – lunch time seminar 26 February Implementation of the SEEA Central Framework Environmental accounts - implementation in the European Union Walter J. Radermacher Chief Statistician of the EU

Eurostat Overview A bit of history EU environmental accounts - current production Legal framework Regulation 691/2011 on European environmental economic accounts New legislation in preparation Implementation of SEEA 2012 Development work and next steps 2W. J. Radermacher

Eurostat Began methodological development in the 90s Work in several areas, including forestry accounts New unit created at Eurostat in 2010 Major contribution to SEEA 2012 development Voluntary data collection in several areas First EU Regulation adopted in 2011 covering air emissions, material flows and environmental taxes Extension of legal framework well advanced to include also energy, environmental protection expenditure and the environmental goods and services sector For more detail on Eurostat's work see: ction ction W. J. Radermacher3 European environmental accounts

Eurostat EU environmental accounts – regular production (voluntary so far) Air emissions in a breakdown by economic activities Economy-wide material flow accounts Environmental taxes – revenues as well as taxes paid in a breakdown by economic activities Environmental protection expenditure from joint OECD/Eurostat questionnaire Environmental goods and services sector Environmental accounts need good quality input from many other areas of EU statistics – SUTs and COFOG data from national accounts, energy, transport, external trade, business, agriculture statistics… 4W. J. Radermacher

Eurostat Example results: IO analysis based on air emissions accounts 022/EN/KS-SF EN.PDF 5W. J. Radermacher

Eurostat Environmental tax revenue in the EU (TSC = total revenue from taxes and social contributions) 6W. J. Radermacher

Eurostat Resource productivity 7W. J. Radermacher

Eurostat EU environmental accounts – legal framework Regulation 691/2011 on European environmental economic accounts Is an EU law directly applicable to Member States Adopted on 6 July 2011, first obligatory data delivery by Member States in September 2013 Includes 3 modules: Air emissions accounts (14 pollutants x 64 ISIC categories + households + bridge table to IPCC totals) Environmental taxes (4 types x taxpayers: 64 ISIC categories + households + non-residents) Material flow accounts (economy-wide, no industry breakdown but detailed material categories) 8W. J. Radermacher

Eurostat New legislation (2 nd batch) Extending Regulation 691/2011 with a second batch of modules is now under preparation Environmental protection expenditure Environmental goods and services sector Physical energy flow accounts (by industries) Legal process to take about 2 years Development work for 3 rd batch under way 9W. J. Radermacher

Eurostat EU advanced in several areas, especially chapters 3 and 4 of SEEA 2012 (physical flows accounts and environmental activity accounts) Eurostat conceptual and compilation handbooks exist for several areas – reviews will determine whether they need to be updated. Will follow the flexible and modular approach of SEEA implementation Work on asset accounts (sub-soil assets, forests, land) has been a focus several years ago – importance for countries varies a lot Eurostat not working on alterative ('adjusted') national accounts aggregates Implementation of SEEA W. J. Radermacher

Eurostat Work areas under development include e.g. Forest accounts Environmental subsidies and similar transfers Resource management expenditure Water accounts Input-output analysis, environmental employment in the EU Strategy for developing new work areas currently being reviewed (European Strategy for Environmental Accounting – ESEA – 2003 – ). Report to European Parliament and Council end 2013 SEEA experimental ecosystem accounting : Main actor in Europe is European Environment Agency Work to compile accounts using existing data - satellite images complemented with statistics e.g. agriculture and forestry statistics Development work 11W. J. Radermacher