Press Release: Environment: Policy Review shows need to address the challenge of resource efficiency

On 10 August 2010 the 2009 Environment Policy Review was published. It reports on EU policy developments from 2009 and looks in detail at EU and Member States' environmental trends and policy performance.

The Environment Policy Review details EU policy developments under the four priorities of the 6th Environment Action Programme, namely Climate change, Nature and biodiversity, Environment and health and Natural resources and waste. It also indicates key issues for 2010 and following years.

As a cross-cutting issue, the Review shows that Member States included many green initiatives in their economic recovery plans, seeking to move towards a low-carbon and resource-efficient economy. The Europe 2020 strategy, which was proposed by the Commission in 2009 and formally adopted by the European Council in June 2010, supports this shift to a resource efficient Europe.

The Review also provides an overview of environmental data and trends under the priority areas of the 6th Environmental Action Programme. Although progress is evident in some environmental areas, further efforts are needed in many others, in particular concerning the loss of biodiversity. The country profiles in the third part show the diversity of policy initiatives being taken in the Member States to tackle the different environmental challenges.

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