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Green Plans in Action: European Union: Measuring Success: Background
Structural and Thematic Indicators Monitor Progress
#1
The Structural Indicators cover six domains:
General Economic Background
Employment
Innovation and Research
Economic Reform
Social Cohesion
The Environment
The indicators are also used as a basis to peer-review progress in the different EU countries.
For more information
#2
The EU Sustainable Development Strategy has a set of indicators addressing the following ten themes:
| Economic Development |
Production and Consumption Patterns |
| Poverty and Social Exclusion |
Management of Natural Resources |
| Aging Society |
Transport |
| Public Health |
Good Governance |
| Climate Change and Energy |
Global Partnership |
Seven themes correspond to the priority areas of the 2001 Commission Communication (A Sustainable Europe for a Better World) and the 2002 Communication on Global partnership, while Production and Consumption Patterns and Good Governance arise from the Plan of Implementation of the World Summit on Sustainable Development. The theme on Economic Development highlights the economic dimension of sustainable development and bridges it to the Lisbon Process.
#3
For more information on the European Environment Agency
For information on the EEA's core set of indicators
Energy Efficiency
For more information on the Energy Efficiency Action Plan
Air Quality
#1
The Strategy will reduce the number of premature deaths related to fine particulate matter and ozone from 370,000 a year in 2000 to 230,000 in 2020. Without the Strategy there would still be over 290,000 premature deaths a year in 2020. It is estimated the Strategy will deliver benefits worth at least €42 billion per year through fewer premature deaths, less sickness, fewer hospital admissions, and improved labor productivity. This is more than five times higher than the cost of implementing the Strategy, which is estimated at around €7.1 billion per annum, or about 0.05% of EU GDP in 2020. Although there is no agreed way to express damage to ecosystems in monetary terms, the environmental benefits of reduced air pollution are significant. The Strategy will protect several hundred thousand square kilometers of forest and other ecosystems.
#2
The Commission also proposes to streamline air quality legislation by merging existing legal instruments into a single Ambient Air Quality Directive, a move that will contribute to better regulation. The Commission has sought the most cost-effective solution that is consistent with the objective of growth and employment (The Lisbon Strategy) and the EU Sustainable Development Strategy.
Toward Cradle-to-Cradle Electronics
For more on use of lead banned in electronics
Integrated Marine Policies
#1
The principal threats to the EU coastlines are from development and urbanization, non-point oil and chemical runoff, and litter. Principal threats to the marine environment that have been identified include the effects of climate change, pollution (including contamination by dangerous substances; from land-based sources; microbiological; oil spills as a result of accidents as well as pollution from shipping and offshore oil and gas exploration; pollution from ship dismantling; and noise pollution); the impacts of commercial fishing; the introduction of non-native (exotic) species principally through discharge of ships' ballast water; eutrophication and associated algal blooms; and illegal discharges of radionuclides.
#2
As a significant transitional step toward the future Marine Policy, in June 2006, the Commission adopted The Green Paper on Maritime Policy. The Green Paper extends the Marine Strategy by an ambitious proposal to set up a European Marine Observation and Data Network for comprehensive mapping of EU coastal waters leading to efficiency gains across the board. The Green Paper recognizes the need for improved coordination between different policy areas and was launched as a year-long major public consultation exercise to include all EU stakeholders' participation in the decision-making to determine the best approach for the future Marine Policy.
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