Environmental protection expenditure by industry in the European Union 1997-2004

This article presents data on environmental protection expenditure of the European Union in the period 1997-2004. The analysis of industry’s environmental protection expenditure (EPE) can be used to evaluate the importance of environmental activities with respect to the economy as a whole, as well as with respect to the different economic sectors. For the EU-25 the level of EPE has been decreasing since 2001. In 2004 it represented 2.4% of industry’s Gross Value Added (GVA), compared to 2.8% in 2001. Current expenditure accounted for the majority of EPE during the whole period. The manufacturing sector accounted for 80% of total industry’s EPE, followed by the electricity, gas and water supply sector (17%) and mining and quarrying (3%). EPE was devoted mainly to the protection of ambient air and climate, wastewater management and waste management. Countries in the European Union showed a great heterogeneity in EPE due to both the structural mix of their industry and their main environmental priorities.