European Commission unveils monitoring framework for progress on environmental goals

On 26 July, 2022, the European Commission presented its monitoring framework for the EU’s eighth Environment Action Programme (EAP), which will apply up to December 2030. EU environment action programmes set out – in broad terms – the environmental priorities of the European Union as well as the actions to achieve them. The European Green Deal is a common part of the eighth programme, which was agreed by the Council of the EU and the European Parliament in April 6, 2022.  

One of the novelties of the 2020-2030 EAP relative to its predecessor is the establishment of a set of indicators to track progress on the objectives agreed upon. The European Commission will report yearly on the indicators. Annual reports will serve as a basis for EU institutions to consider whether developments on the ground align to the environmental ambitions of the Union.

The 6 objectives on which progress will be assessed are:

• Climate change mitigation
• Climate change adaptation
• A regenerative circular economy
• Zero pollution and a toxic free environment
• Biodiversity and ecosystems
• Environmental and climate pressures related to EU production and consumption

Progress on each objective will be assessed by between 2 and 5 indicators. Additional indicators will be included for the type of actions taken for advances towards the EAP’s overall vision of a society living within planetary boundaries by 2050.

Chemical management is an integral part of the EU’s environmental vision. While no specific indicators on the use of chemicals are yet included in the year-to-year set of indicators, existing data will be part of more in-depth evaluations to be carried out in 2024 and 2029. New indicators on chemicals (for instance, on the sustainable use of chemicals) will be developed, and may be considered for inclusion at a later stage.

Additionally, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) is developing a stand-alone monitoring framework dedicated to chemicals.