Polski
Issue 1/2026, From the European Commission
EEA report: progress in implementing the 8th Environmental Action Programme
Jan
The Eighth Environmental Action Program 2030 (8th EAP) is the European Union’s overarching legal framework for action on EU environmental policy. 8. The EAP encompasses the long-term overarching goal of living well on the planet through 2050. The EAP also sets out six thematic goals for 2030 and the conditions necessary to achieve them. It is based on the assumptions of the European Green Deal for accelerating the green transition, as well as protecting, restoring and improving the environment.
The third report on the implementation of the 8th EAP, issued by the European Environment Agency (EEA) at the end of 2025, analyzes historical trends, recent progress and future projected mitigation actions, such as those on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, increasing the use of renewable energy or improving energy efficiency.
Assumptions 8. EAP
The 8th EAP (Decision of the European Parliament and the Council (EU) 2022/591) should support the objectives of the European Green Deal, among other things, through the EU’s environmental policy in the run-up to 2030. As designed, it provides the basis for achieving the environmental and climate goals set out in the UN’s Agenda 2030 and its Sustainable Development Goals, and is aligned with the goals of the Paris Agreement, the Rio Convention and other international agreements. It is intended to help accelerate the environmental transition toward a climate-neutral, sustainable, toxin-free, resource-efficient, renewable energy-based, resilient and competitive closed-loop economy.
8 The EAP requires annual monitoring of progress toward priority goals, with an overall goal of systemic change. Each year, therefore, the European Environment Agency (EEA) assesses progress toward the goals of the EAP using a set of 28 indicators.
Objectives and indicators 8. EAP
The priority goals and indicators for their achievement under the 8th EAP are:
- Climate change mitigation
a. Trends and projections of total greenhouse gas emissions in Europe
b. Greenhouse gas emissions from land use, land use change and forestry in Europe - Adapting to climate change
a. Economic losses from extreme climate events in Europe
b. Impact of drought on ecosystems in Europe - Regenerative closed-loop economy
a. Europe’s material footprint
b. Waste generation in Europe - Zero pollution and toxin-free environment
a. Premature deaths from exposure to fine particulate matter in Europe
b. Nitrates in groundwater - Biodiversity and ecosystems
a. Designated terrestrial protected areas in Europe
b. Marine protected areas in Europe’s seas
c. Index of common birds in Europe
d. Forest cover - Environmental and climate pressures related to production and consumption in the EU
a. Primary and final energy consumption in Europe
b. Share of renewable energy consumption in Europe
c. Rate of closed-loop material use in Europe
d. Share of buses and trains in land passenger transport
e. Agricultural area under organic farming in Europe - Enabling conditions
a. Share of environmental taxes in total tax revenues
b. Fossil fuel subsidies
c. Environmental spending
d. Green bonds
e. Eco-innovation rate - Living well within planetary boundaries
a. Net land occupation in cities and commuting zones in Europe
b. Water scarcity in Europe (water use index plus)
c. Consumption footprint (based on life cycle assessment)
d. Employment in the environmental goods and services sector
e. Gross value added of the environmental goods and services sector
f. Environmental inequalities related to GDP and air pollution in Europe
European Environment Agency report on the monitoring of the 8th Environmental EAP
The just-released 8th EAP environmental monitoring report is based on data reported by the 27 member states of the European Union, five member states of the European Environment Agency (EEA), and nine parties to the Energy Community.
To capture progress toward the long-term goal, the European Commission’s 8th EAP monitoring framework includes six indicators and corresponding targets for 2030:
- A land occupation indicator to monitor whether the EU will achieve the goal of zero net land occupation by 2050;
- indicator on water scarcity conditions to monitor whether the EU will reduce water scarcity;
- a consumption footprint indicator to monitor whether the EU will significantly reduce the environmental impact of its consumption to offset its negative impact on the planet as soon as possible;
- Two indicators on employment and gross value added of the environmental goods and services sector to monitor whether the share of the green economy and green employment in the economy as a whole will increase in the EU;
- environmental inequality indicator to monitor whether the EU will reduce environmental inequality and ensure a just transition.
The results of the analysis show uneven progress toward the EU’s environmental and climate goals. Indicators for premature deaths from air pollution, eco-innovation, green employment and the green economy were assessed as in line with plan. Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and the green bond indicator were assessed as probably in line with plan.
In contrast, indicators for organic agriculture, closed-loop material use, EU consumption footprint, climate-related economic losses, and land use, land use change and forestry-related greenhouse gas emissions and removals (LULUCF) were assessed as not in compliance with the plan. The remaining 17 indicators were assessed against the 2030 target as likely to be inconsistent with the plan.
The report’s authors point out that several key EU policies have only recently entered into force or are still in the process of implementation, so it is appropriate to pause to assess their environmental impact.
Monitoring report on progress towards the 8th EAP objectives 2025, which is accompanied by a technical report, can be downloaded from the website of the Publications Office of the European Union.
Conclusions of the report
As the report’s authors point out, the assessment of progress toward the priority goals of the 8th EAP and related 2030 targets confirms the continued need for decisive and urgent action to protect and restore Europe’s environment, mitigate climate change and adapt more effectively to changing conditions.
According to the report’s authors, the results of the 2030 projections, relating to the priority goals of the 8th EAP, concerning environmental and climate pressures related to EU production and consumption and adaptation to climate change, remain the most worrying. This implies the need to transform Europe’s energy, mobility, food and industrial systems.
Member states are in the process of implementing newly adopted EU legislation and aligning national policies, actions and ambitions with established mitigation and energy targets (e.g., the Natural Resources Recovery Regulation, the Soil Monitoring and Resilience Directive), so real effects will become apparent over time. Nonetheless, current assessments underscore the need for accelerated and decisive action and sufficient funding to achieve the 8 targets by 2030. EAP.
According to a report in the European Commission’s report (Update on the Costs of Non-Implementation of EU Environmental Law), it was indicated that these costs would total €180 billion per year on current environmental targets. In addition, future economic losses from floods alone could potentially exceed €1 trillion per year in the European Union if no further action is taken.
In this context, it becomes necessary to align public financial frameworks and investment incentives for private actors to achieve climate and environmental goals, and to phase out fossil fuel subsidies and other environmentally harmful subsidies. Hence, the report’s authors point out that achieving the 8th EAP’s vision of living well on Earth by 2050 will require adequate financing, as well as timely and effective implementation of the goals in all sectors and member states.
The report’s authors point out that the goal of zero pollution and a toxin-free environment and enabling conditions yield the most positive, albeit uneven, results. In 2023. The EU has reached its 2030 target for reducing premature deaths from air pollution, but nevertheless points out that further efforts are needed to maintain this progress.
The conclusions also point out that the EU is probably still not on track to halve nutrient losses to groundwater due to the fact that current and planned measures are insufficient. Further integration of environmental and climate goals into industrial or agricultural policy is also needed.
The EU’s pursuit of sustainable development coincides with overlapping crises and brings priorities such as competitiveness, security, defense and justice to the forefront. It is therefore imperative to ensure that climate and environmental goals are embedded in these priorities and considered mutually reinforcing, given that economic stability, security, strategic resilience and equity depend on a stable climate and a healthy environment as Europe moves toward sustainable development.
In the article, I used:
https://op.europa.eu/pl/publication-detail/-/publication/6a347f80-d7d0-11f0-8da2-01aa75ed71a1/language-en
EN PDF: TH-01-25-041-EN-N – ISBN: 978-92-9480-748-9 – ISSN: 1977-8449 – doi: 10.2800/1667739
https://www.eea.europa.eu/en/analysis/publications/monitoring-report-on-progress-towards-the-8th-eap-objectives-2025
https://www.eea.europa.eu/en/topics/at-a-glance/state-of-europes-environment/environment-action-programme/8th-eap-indicator-based-progress?activeTab=911432dc-854b-4a41-bee3-f48ae27b2adc
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32022D0591
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=COM%3A2022%3A357%3AFIN
https://op.europa.eu/pl/publication-detail/-/publication/4dead000-263d-11f0-8a44-01aa75ed71a1/language-en
https://www.eea.europa.eu/en/analysis/publications/monitoring-report-on-progress-towards-the-8th-eap-objectives-2025
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=COM%3A2022%3A357%3AFIN
