According to a new report by the EEA, this increased awareness has enabled EU policy makers to successfully agree a wide range of ‘green’ policies.
However, the report, ‘Towards a green economy in Europe‘, highlights how implementing these policies is creating a barrier to future progress.
The report looks at the environmental targets and objectives established by EU legislation for the period 2010-2050.
EEA executive director, Hans Bruyninckx, said: “This report shows that while we have been successful in agreeing a wide range of policies to protect the environment, implementing these policies remains a challenge.
“We are making some progress towards the EU aim of creating a green economy, but we need to keep the pressure on up to 2020 and beyond,” he added.
The report identifies 63 legally binding targets and 68 non-binding objectives set out in EU policy covering the period 2010-2050.
Of the 63 legally-binding targets, 62 have their deadlines in 2020 or before. The EEA says most of the current targets and objectives can be seen as interim steps towards a transition to a green economy, because in most cases eradicating the problems will require “longer-term efforts beyond 2020”.
Leigh Stringer