(3)

The Commission’s evaluation of the 7th EAP (24) concluded that its 2050 vision and priority objectives are still valid; that it has helped to provide more predictable, faster and better-coordinated action in environment policy; and that its structure and enabling framework have helped create synergies, thus making environment policy more effective and efficient. Moreover, the evaluation concluded that the 7th EAP anticipated the United Nation’s 2030 Agenda by insisting that economic growth and social wellbeing depend on a healthy natural resource base, and facilitated delivering on the Sustainable Development Goals. It also enabled the Union to speak with one voice on the global stage on climate and environmental matters. In its evaluation of the 7th EAP, the Commission also concluded that progress related to nature protection, health and policy integration was not sufficient.

(3)

The Commission’s evaluation of the 7th EAP (24) concluded that its 2050 vision and priority objectives are still valid; that it has helped to provide more predictable, faster and better-coordinated action in environment policy; and that its structure and enabling framework have helped create synergies, thus making environment policy more effective and efficient. Moreover, the evaluation concluded that the 7th EAP anticipated the United Nation’s 2030 Agenda by insisting that economic growth and social wellbeing depend on a healthy natural resource base, and facilitated delivering on the Sustainable Development Goals. It also enabled the Union to speak with one voice on the global stage on climate and environmental matters. In its evaluation of the 7th EAP, the Commission also concluded that progress related to nature protection, health and integrating environmental concerns into other policy areas was not sufficient. It also found that there could have been more consideration of social issues in the 7th EAP, building on the existing links between environment and social policy, as regards for example the impact on vulnerable groups, jobs, social inclusion and inequality. Moreover, the Commission noted in its evaluation that, despite increasingly ambitious environmental targets in many policy domains, spending on environmental protection has remained low in Europe over many years (around 2 % of GDP) and that the failure to implement environmental legislation costs the Union economy around EUR 55 billion each year in health costs and direct costs to the environment. The evaluation noted that the 7th EAP’s implementation could have been reinforced by a stronger monitoring mechanism.

(4)

According to the EEA report ‘The European environment — state and outlook 2020, Knowledge for transition to a sustainable Europe’ (‘SOER 2020’), 2020 represents a unique window of opportunity for the Union to show leadership on sustainability and to face the urgent sustainability challenges requiring systemic solutions . As stated in SOER 2020, the changes in the global climate and ecosystems observed since the 1950s are unprecedented over decades to millennia. The global population has tripled since 1950, while the population living in cities has quadrupled. With the current growth model , environmental pressures are expected to increase further, causing direct and indirect harmful effects on human health and well-being. This is especially true for the sectors with the highest environmental impact — food, mobility, energy as well as infrastructure and buildings .

(4)

According to the EEA report ‘The European environment — state and outlook 2020, Knowledge for transition to a sustainable Europe’ (‘SOER 2020’), there is a unique window of opportunity for the Union in the next decade to show global leadership on sustainability by tackling the urgent sustainability challenges which are unprecedented and which can only be met by ensuring systemic change. Systemic change entails a fundamental, transformative, and cross-cutting form of change that implies major shifts and reorientation in systems goals, incentives, technologies, social practices and norms, as well as in knowledge systems, and governance approaches . As stated in SOER 2020, one of the most important factors underlying Europe's persistent environmental and sustainability challenges is that they are inextricably linked to economic activities and lifestyles, in particular the societal systems that provide Europeans with necessities such as goods , energy and mobility. Ensuring policy coherence with, and full implementation of, existing environmental policies would take Europe a long way to achieving its environmental goals up to 2030. However, systemic, long-term frameworks with binding targets in relation to climate and environmental goals are also needed. SOER 2020 concludes that Europe will not achieve its sustainability vision of ‘living well, within the limits of our planet’ simply by promoting economic growth and seeking to manage harmful side effects with environmental and social policy tools. Instead, sustainability needs to become the guiding principle for ambitious and coherent policies and actions across society.

(5)

The European Commission responded to the challenges identified in the SOER 2020 by adopting the European Green Deal (25): a new growth strategy for the twin green and digital transition that aims to transform the Union into a fair and prosperous society, with a competitive, climate-neutral and resource-efficient economy. Regulation (EU) of the European Parliament and of the Council (26) enshrines into law the Union target to achieve climate neutrality by 2050.

(5)

The European Commission’s response to the challenges identified in the SOER 2020 is outlined in the European Green Deal (25) as a new growth strategy for the twin green and digital transition that aims to transform the Union into a fair and prosperous society, with a competitive, climate-neutral and resource-efficient economy and to protect, conserve and enhance the Union's natural capital whilst improving the quality of life of current and future generations. Swiftly achieving climate and environmental targets while protecting the health and wellbeing of people from environmental risks and impacts and ensuring a just and inclusive transition should be the priority . Regulation (EU) of the European Parliament and of the Council (26) enshrines into law the Union target to achieve climate neutrality by 2050 at the latest .

(5a)

On 28 November 2019, the European Parliament adopted a resolution declaring a climate and environment emergency in Europe and globally, and urged the new Commission to take fast and important action, including by addressing inconsistencies in current Union policies with the climate and environment emergency, in particular through a far-reaching reform of its agricultural, trade, transport, energy and infrastructure investment policies and by ensuring that all relevant future legislative and budgetary proposals are fully aligned with the objective of limiting global warming to under 1,5  oC and that they are not contributing to biodiversity loss.

(5b)

Both in the Union and globally, land and soil continue to be degraded by a wide range of human activities, such as poor land management, land use change, unsustainable agricultural practices, land abandonment, pollution, unsustainable forestry practices and soil sealing, biodiversity loss and climate change, often combined with other factors, thus reducing their capacities to provide ecosystem services and functions. Despite this, the Union and Member States are not currently on track to meet their international and European commitments related to soil and land, including obligations under the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification to combat desertification, restore degraded land and soil and achieve a land degradation-neutral world by 2030. In line with the resolution of the European Parliament of 28 April 2021 on soil protection, there is a need for a Union-wide common legal framework for the protection and sustainable use of soil, which fully respects the subsidiarity principle and which addresses all major soil threats. That framework should include, inter alia, a common definition of soil and its functions and criteria for achieving good status and sustainable use, as well as intermediate and final objectives that are accompanied by harmonised indicators and a monitoring and reporting methodology.

(5c)

The COVID-19 pandemic, which has led to an unprecedented economic and health crisis, has demonstrated again the importance of applying the multi-sectoral ‘One Health’ approach in policy-making, which recognises that human health is connected to animal health and to the environment, and that actions to tackle threats to health have to take into account all three dimensions. In order to, inter alia, effectively detect, respond to, and prevent outbreaks of zoonoses and food safety threats, information and data should be shared across sectors, and cooperation at national and sub-national levels should be increased to implement effective and common responses. The 8th EAP should contribute to the full integration of the ‘One Health approach’ across all levels of policy- making.

(5d)

According to the 2020 report on Biodiversity and Pandemics by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES)  (1a) , the underlying causes of pandemics are the same global environmental changes that drive biodiversity loss and climate change including land-use change, agricultural expansion and intensification, and wildlife trade and consumption and other drivers. Climate change has been implicated in disease emergence and will likely cause substantial future pandemic risk, whilst biodiversity loss is also associated with the transformation of landscapes and can lead to increased emerging disease risk in some cases. According to the report, the cost of inaction vastly outweighs the cost of implementing global strategies to prevent pandemics based on reducing the wildlife trade and land-use change and increasing One Health surveillance.

(5e)

Environmental degradation and the adverse effects of climate change are expected to increase further in the years to come, impacting on developing countries and vulnerable populations the hardest. In order to help build resilience and support third countries in their efforts in mitigate and adapt to climate change as well as protect biodiversity, financial assistance from the Union and Member States to third countries should promote the UN 2030 Agenda, the Paris Agreement adopted under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change  (1a) (the ‘Paris Agreement’) and the post-2020 global framework of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity and be in line with the priority objectives of the 8th EAP. Furthermore, the Union and Member States should also ensure that the Paris Agreement and other international climate and environmental agreements are implemented in ways that reflect the principles of equity and of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, as laid down also in Article 2(2) of the Paris Agreement.

(6)

The European Green Deal underpins the Next Generation EU Recovery Plan which promotes the investments in key green sectors needed to build resilience, and create growth and jobs in a fair and inclusive society. The Recovery and Resilience Facility which will power the Union’s economic recovery from the coronavirus crisis together with the Union budget for 2021-2027, is also based on the priority objectives set out in the European Green Deal. Furthermore, all initiatives under Next Generation EU Recovery Plan should respect the European Green Deal’s ‘do no harm’ oath .

(6)

The European Green Deal underpins the Next Generation EU Recovery Plan which promotes the investments in key green and digital sectors needed to build resilience, and create growth and jobs in a fair and inclusive society. The Recovery and Resilience Facility which will power the Union’s economic recovery from the coronavirus crisis together with the Union budget for 2021-2027, is also based on the priority objectives set out in the European Green Deal. Furthermore, all initiatives under the Next Generation EU Recovery Plan should respect the ‘do no significant harm’ principle as set out in Regulation (EU) 2020/852 of the European Parliament and of the Council (the ‘Taxonomy Regulation’)  (1a). The Recovery Plan offers an important opportunity to accelerate the pace of the transition towards climate neutrality and the protection of the environment.

(7)

Environment action programmes have guided the development of EU environment policy since the early 1970s. The 7th EAP will expire on 31 December 2020 and its Article 4 (3) requires the Commission, if appropriate, to present a proposal for an Eighth Environment Action Programme (8th EAP) in a timely manner with a view to avoiding a gap between the 7th and the 8th EAP. The European Green Deal announced the adoption of a new environment action programme .

(7)

Environment action programmes have guided the development and coordination of EU environment policy since the early 1970s. The 7th EAP expired on 31 December 2020 and its Article 4 (3) required the Commission, if appropriate, to present a proposal for an Eighth Environment Action Programme (8th EAP) in a timely manner with a view to avoiding a gap between the 7th and the 8th EAP. The Commission’s communication of 11 December 2019 on the European Green Deal announced that the 8th EAP would include a new monitoring mechanism to ensure that the Union remains on track to meet its environmental objectives . The Commission also committed in its communication to launching a dashboard to monitor progress against all of the European Green Deal’s objectives.

(8)

The 8th EAP should support the environment and climate action objectives of the European Green Deal in line with the long-term objective to ‘live well, within the planetary boundaries’ by 2050 , which is already established in the 7th EAP. It should contribute to achieving the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals.

(8)

The 8th EAP , as the overall Union Environment Action Programme, should build on and promote the achievement of the objectives of the European Green Deal in line with the long-term objective to ‘live well, within the planetary boundaries’ by 2050 at the latest, in line with what has been already established in the 7th EAP. It should also be fully aligned with the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are integrated and indivisible, and drive forward their implementation and achievement, as well as be aligned with the goals of the Paris Agreement, the UN Convention on Biological Diversity and other relevant international agreements . The 8th EAP should enable a systemic change to a Union economy that guarantees wellbeing within planetary boundaries where growth is regenerative and should also ensure that the environmental and climate transition is achieved in a just and inclusive way, whilst contributing to reducing inequalities.

(8a)

The priority objectives of the 8th EAP set a direction for Union policymaking, building on, but not limited to, the commitments of the European Green Deal strategies and initiatives.

(8b)

The 8th EAP forms the basis for achieving the environmental and climate objectives defined under the United Nations 2030 Agenda and its SDGs. According to a model developed by the Stockholm Resilience Centre, the achievement of the environmental and climate SDGs underpins the social and economic SDGs because our societies and economies depend on a healthy biosphere and because sustainable development can only take place within the safe operating space of a stable and resilient planet. Achievement of the SDGs by the Union and its support for third countries to do the same will be essential if the Union is to demonstrate global leadership in achieving sustainability transitions.

(9)

The 8th EAP should accelerate the transition to a regenerative economy that gives back to the planet more than it takes . A regenerative growth model recognises that the wellbeing and prosperity of our societies depend on a stable climate, a healthy environment and thriving ecosystems , which provide a safe operating space for our economies . As the global population and the demand for natural resources continues to grow, economic activity should develop in a way that does no harm but, on the contrary, reverses climate change and environmental degradation, minimises pollution and results in maintaining and enriching natural capital, therefore ensuring the abundance of renewable and non-renewable resources. Through continuous innovation, adaptation to new challenges and co-creation, the regenerative economy strengthens resilience and protects present and future generations’ wellbeing.

(9)

The 8th EAP should accelerate the transition to a regenerative growth model that gives back to the planet more than it takes in the context of a sustainable wellbeing economy which enables systemic change, recognises that the wellbeing and prosperity of our societies depend on a stable climate, a healthy environment and thriving ecosystems and provides a safe operating space within planetary boundaries . As the global population and the demand for natural resources continues to grow, economic activity should develop in a  sustainable way that does no harm but, on the contrary, reverses climate change , protects and restores ecosystems and biodiversity while halting and reversing their loss, prevents environmental degradation, protects health and wellbeing from negative environmental impacts, prevents and minimises pollution and results in maintaining and enriching natural resources and biodiversity, therefore ensuring the abundance of renewable and non-renewable resources. Through continuous research and innovation, transformation of production and consumption patterns, and adaptation to new challenges and co-creation, the regenerative and sustainable wellbeing economy strengthens resilience , improves the state of nature and protects present and future generations’ wellbeing and their right to a healthy environment .

(9a)

According to the OECD, the case for measuring economic performance and societal progress ‘beyond GDP’ is well-established, and taking GDP as a single compass does not provide policy-makers with a sufficiently accurate picture of the way in which the economy performs for citizens or of the long-term impacts of growth on sustainability  (1a) . In order for the Union to develop a more holistic approach towards economic policy-making, in line with the SDGs, the Paris Agreement and the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, the 8th EAP lays down the requirement for the development of a comprehensive set of ‘beyond GDP’ indicators, as requested by the 7th EAP, in order to measure progress towards a sustainable wellbeing economy and to guide and inform future policy making.

(9b)

Implementing an effective post-2020 global biodiversity framework will be dependent on reducing finance flows that harm biodiversity, and yet, according to a report by the OECD, the amount of spending by governments annually that is potentially harmful to biodiversity is five to six times bigger than annual global spending for biodiversity  (1a) . The Aichi Biodiversity Targets laid down the obligation that, by 2020 at the latest, subsidies harmful to biodiversity should be eliminated, phased out or reformed and phasing out environmentally harmful subsidies at Union and Member State level without delay was also an obligation under the 7th EAP. In order for the Union to achieve the 8th EAP’s priority objectives, including climate neutrality by 2050 at the latest, it will be necessary to phase out all environmentally harmful subsidies, including fossil fuel subsidies. All direct and indirect subsidies, including those in the form of tax exemptions, should be included. A mechanism for Member States to report on the phasing out of environmentally harmful subsidies other than fossil fuel subsidies should also be developed. The phasing out of all environmentally harmful subsidies should follow the principle of the just transition and be accompanied by actions to prevent or alleviate any negative socio-economic impacts at Union, national, regional and local level, while ensuring that no one is left behind.

(9c)

One of the priorities of the European Strategy for Environmental Accounts 2019-2023 is to enlarge the list of areas covered by European environmental accounts, with one of the areas under development being ‘subsidies or support measures potentially harmful for the environment’. Through its work on a preparatory action, the Commission will provide a toolbox to stakeholders to help them map environmentally harmful subsidies and then make an evidence-based case for their reform or removal by identifying the social, economic and environmental impacts of their phasing out.

(9d)

Marine and coastal ecosystems, such as mangroves, coral reefs, salt marshes and seagrass meadows, are being degraded and negatively impacted through processes such as eutrophication and acidification, impacting the biodiversity they sustain and the ecosystem services and functions they provide as well as their capacity to act as carbon sinks. Urgent action is required to protect and restore these marine and coastal ecosystems, including the ocean floor, and acknowledging the ocean as a global common could facilitate raising awareness, improving ocean literacy and encourage action and adoption of effective measures from all levels of, and actors in, society.

(10)

The 8th EAP should set out thematic priority objectives in areas of climate neutrality, adaption to climate change, protecting and restoring biodiversity, circular economy, the zero pollution ambition and reducing environmental pressures from production and consumption . It should furthermore identify the enabling conditions to achieve the long-term and the thematic priority objectives for all actors involved.

(10)

The 8th EAP should set out thematic priority objectives in areas of climate change mitigation, adaptation to climate change, protecting and restoring terrestrial and marine biodiversity, a non-toxic circular economy, the zero pollution environment and minimising environmental pressures from production and consumption across all sectors of the economy. Those thematic priority objectives, which address both drivers and impacts of environmental damage, are inherently interlinked and a systemic approach is therefore necessary for their achievement. The 8th EAP should furthermore identify the enabling conditions to achieve , in a coherent way, the long-term and the thematic priority objectives for all actors involved , as well as coordinate the actions necessary to achieve these conditions .

(10a)

The term ‘ecosystem approach’ is established under the UN Convention on Biological Diversity as a strategy for the integrated management of land, water and living resources that promotes conservation and sustainable use in an equitable way in order to help reach a balance between conservation, sustainable use and benefit sharing of biological biodiversity, the three objectives of the Convention.

(10b)

According to the EEA, nature based solutions (NBS) for climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction are actions which work with and enhance nature to restore and protect ecosystems and to help society to adapt to the impacts of climate change and slow further warming, while providing multiple additional benefits  (1a) . Whilst NBS can provide economic benefits, it should be recognised that these may only materialise over the longer term. NBS should respect certain criteria in order to ensure that their implementation is coherent with, and does not undermine, the 8th EAP’s priority objectives. Furthermore, where NBS are financed by biodiversity offsetting mechanisms, these mechanisms should strictly adhere to a mitigation hierarchy ensuring that, inter alia, offsets can only be used as a measure of last resort.

(11)

Environment policy being highly decentralised, action to achieve the priority objectives of the 8th EAP should be taken at different levels of governance, i.e. at the European, the national, the regional and the local level, with a collaborative approach to multi-level governance. The integrated approach to policy development and implementation should be strengthened with a view to maximising the synergies between economic, environmental and social objectives , while paying careful attention to potential trade-offs and to the needs of vulnerable groups. Moreover, transparent engagement with non-governmental actors is important for ensuring the success of the 8th EAP and the achievement of its priority objectives.

(11)

Environment policy being highly decentralised, action to achieve the priority objectives of the 8th EAP should be taken at different levels of governance, i.e. at the European, the national, the regional and the local level, with a collaborative approach to multi-level governance. Efficient monitoring, implementation, enforcement and accountability are essential, and effective governance is required in order to ensure coherence between policies. The integrated approach to policy development and implementation should be strengthened with a view to maximising the synergies between environmental, social and economic objectives by systematically evaluating the potential trade-offs between them, as well as systematically evaluating the needs of vulnerable and marginalised groups . This integrated approach should meet the specific needs of all regions, including urban and rural areas and outermost regions . Moreover, access to environmental information, public participation in environmental decision-making, and access to justice, in line with the Aarhus Convention as well as transparent engagement with and between public authorities at all levels of decision making, non-governmental actors and the broader public are important for ensuring the success of the 8th EAP and the achievement of its priority objectives.

(11a)

Impact assessments undertaken in the context of the 8th EAP should take into account the full range of immediate and long-term impacts on the environment and climate, including their cumulative effects, as well as the costs of action and inaction, and tools will need to be developed to this effect. Those impact assessments should be based on wide and transparent consultation, and within eight weeks of closure of a public consultation, the Commission should systematically present detailed feedback on stakeholder consultation responses, distinguishing between contributions from different types of stakeholders. Furthermore, impacts assessment should be published immediately upon their completion in order to allow scrutiny by stakeholders, in light of the judgment of the Court of Justice of 4 September 2018 in Case C-57/16 P  (1a) , be sufficiently detailed and include all the information used to inform their conclusions, including socio-economic impacts.

(11b)

Action to achieve the Union's environmental and climate objectives needs to be carried out in conjunction and be compatible with the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights.

(11c)

The United Nations Environment Programme and the OECD Global Forum on Environment have highlighted that environmental changes have gender-specific impact. Gender-differentiated roles also cause differentiated vulnerabilities of women and men to the effects of climate change, and climate change impacts exacerbate gender inequalities. Therefore, a gender perspective on actions and goals related to the achievement of the priority objectives of the 8th EAP, including gender impact assessment of planned actions and a focus on gender mainstreaming and gender-responsive actions, is necessary in order to help ensure that gender inequalities are not perpetuated. The 8th EAP recognises that gender equality is a prerequisite for sustainable development and in terms of achieving the best outcomes when responding to climate and environment challenges.

(12)

Enhanced cooperation with partner countries, good global environmental governance as well as synergies between internal and external Union policies are key to reach the Union’s environmental and climate objectives.

(12)

Enhanced cooperation and green diplomacy with third countries, including developing countries, and supporting good global environmental governance , including promotion of access to information, public participation in decision-making and access to justice in environmental matters, are key to achieving SDGs as well as the Union’s environmental and climate objectives. Ensuring synergies and coherence between all internal and external Union policies, including trade policies and agreements, and adhering to Policy Coherence for Sustainable Development (PCSD) is also essential.

(13)

The European Commission should assess the progress in achieving the priority objectives of the 8th EAP by the Union and the Member States in the context of the transition towards greater sustainability, wellbeing and resilience. This is in line with calls of the Council (27) and the European Economic and Social Committee (28) for measuring economic performance and societal progress ‘beyond GDP’, and moving towards using well-being as a compass for policy, which is also supported by the OECD (29).

(13)

The European Commission should assess the progress in achieving the priority objectives of the 8th EAP by the Union and the Member States in the context of the just and inclusive transition towards sustainability, wellbeing and resilience within planetary boundaries . This is in line with calls of the Council (27) and the European Economic and Social Committee (28) for measuring economic performance and societal progress ‘beyond GDP’, and moving towards using well-being as a compass for policy, which is also supported by the OECD (29).

(14)

The assessment of progress towards the priority objectives of the 8th EAP should reflect the latest developments as regards the availability and relevance of data and indicators. It should be coherent with and without prejudice to monitoring or governance tools covering more specific aspects of environment and climate policy, such as in particular Regulation 1999/2018 of the European Parliament and of the Council (30), the Environmental Implementation Review or monitoring tools relating to circular economy, zero pollution, biodiversity, air, water, soil, waste, or any other environment policies. Together with other tools used in the European Semester, the Eurostat SDG Monitoring and in the Commission’s Strategic Foresight Report (31) , it would be part of a coherent interconnected set of monitoring and governance tools.

(14)

The assessment of progress towards the priority objectives of the 8th EAP should reflect the latest developments as regards the availability and relevance of data and indicators and should be based on a distance-to-target methodology that is robust, comprehensive and transparent . It should be coherent with and without prejudice to monitoring or governance tools covering more specific aspects of environment and climate policy, such as in particular Regulation (EU) 2018/1999 of the European Parliament and of the Council (30), the Environmental Implementation Review or monitoring tools relating to a non-toxic circular economy, zero pollution, biodiversity, air, water, soil, waste, or any other environment and industrial policies. Together with tools used in the European Semester, the Eurostat SDG Monitoring and in the Commission’s Strategic Foresight Report (31) , assessment of progress towards the 8th EAP's priority objectives should form part of a  larger, coherent and interconnected set of monitoring and governance tools , covering not only environmental but also social and economic factors .

(14a)

Further developing the scientific knowledge base on planetary boundaries and environmental footprints, including in relation to relevant indicator sets, is important in view of the 8th EAP’s priority objectives, in particular its long-term priority objective.

(15)

The Commission and the EEA and other relevant agencies should access and re-use the data and indicators provided by the Member States in accordance with applicable Union legal acts. In addition, other data sources, such as satellite data and processed information from the European Earth Monitoring Programme (Copernicus), the European Forest Fire Information System and the European Flood Awareness System, or data platforms such as European Marine Observation and Data Network or the Information Platform for Chemical Monitoring should be utilised. The application of modern digital tools and artificial intelligence allows managing and analysing the data in an effective way and thereby reducing administrative burden whilst increasing timeliness and quality.

(15)

Robust and meaningful data and indicators are needed in order to monitor progress towards the achievement of the 8th EAP’s priority objectives. The Commission and the EEA and other relevant agencies should access, re-use and build on the data and indicators provided by the Member States in accordance with applicable Union legal acts. In addition, other data sources, such as satellite data and processed information from the European Union’s Earth Observation Programme (Copernicus), the European Forest Fire Information System , the Biodiversity Information System, the Land System Parcel Identification System and the European Flood Awareness System, or data platforms such as the European Marine Observation and Data Network or the Information Platform for Chemical Monitoring should be utilised. The application of modern digital tools and artificial intelligence allows managing and analysing the data in an effective way and thereby reducing administrative burden whilst increasing timeliness and quality.

(17)

To reach the priority objectives of the 8th EAP, the EEA and ECHA should be equipped with adequate capacity and sufficient resources to ensure a sound, accessible and transparent knowledge and evidence base to support the implementation of the strategic priorities of the European Green Deal and the assessment of progress under the programme.

(17)

To reach the priority objectives of the 8th EAP, the EEA and ECHA should be equipped with adequate capacity and sufficient resources to ensure a sound, accessible and transparent knowledge and evidence base to support the implementation of the strategic priorities of the European Green Deal and the assessment of progress under the programme. Where relevant, other bodies and agencies should also be involved and contribute to the implementation of these strategic priorities and to the assessment of progress under the 8th EAP.

(17a)

By 31 March 2024, the Commission should carry out a mid-term evaluation of the 8th EAP to assess progress on the 8th EAP and to inform the priorities of the incoming Commission. In light of progress outlined in the mid-term evaluation, the Commission incoming after the 2024 European Parliament elections should present, within the first 100 days of its mandate, a report in which it outlines the environment and climate priorities on which it plans to take action during its mandate and how this action is to ensure the full achievement of the 8th EAP’s priority objectives.

(18)

In order to take account of evolving policy objectives and the progress made, the 8th EAP should be evaluated by the Commission in 2029.

(18)

In order to take account of evolving policy objectives and the progress made, the 8th EAP should be evaluated by the Commission in 2029. The Commission should present a report to the European Parliament and to the Council containing the findings of that evaluation, accompanied, if appropriate, by a legislative proposal for the next environmental action programme. Such a legislative proposal should be presented in a timely manner, with a view to avoiding a gap between the 8th and the 9th EAP.

(18a)

Pursuant to Article 191 TFEU, Union policy on the environment is to aim at a high level of protection taking into account the diversity of situations in the various regions of the Union and is to be based on the precautionary principle and on the principles that preventive action should be taken, that environmental damage should as a priority be rectified at source, and that the polluter should pay.

(a)

irreversible and gradual reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and enhancement of removals by natural and other sinks in the Union to attain the 2030 greenhouse gas emission reduction target and achieve climate neutrality by 2050 as laid down in Regulation (EU) …/… (32);

(a)

swift and predictable reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and , at the same time, enhancement of removals by natural sinks in the Union, to attain the 2030 greenhouse gas emission reduction target as laid down in Regulation (EU) 2021/…  (32) , in line with its climate and environment objectives whilst ensuring a just transition that leaves no one behind ;

(b)

continuous progress in enhancing adaptive capacity, strengthening resilience and reducing vulnerability to climate change;

(b)

continuous progress in enhancing and mainstreaming adaptive capacity , including on the basis of ecosystem approaches , strengthening resilience and adaptation and reducing vulnerability of the environment and of society as well as all sectors of the economy to climate change , while improving prevention of, and preparedness for, natural disasters ;

(c)

advancing towards a  regenerative growth model that gives back to the planet more than it takes, decoupling economic growth from resource use and environmental degradation, and accelerating the transition to a circular economy;

(c)

advancing towards a  sustainable well-being economy that gives back to the planet more than it takes, and ensuring the transition to a  non-toxic circular economy where growth is regenerative and resources are used efficiently in line with the waste hierarchy ;

(d)

pursuing a zero-pollution ambition for a toxic free-environment, including for air, water and soil, and protecting the health and well-being of citizens from environment-related risks and impacts;

(d)

pursuing zero-pollution in order to achieve a toxic-free environment, including for air, water, soil as well as in relation to light and noise pollution , and protecting the health and well-being of people, animals and ecosystems from environment-related risks and impacts , including by applying and promoting the ‘One Health’ approach ;

(e)

protecting, preserving and restoring biodiversity and enhancing natural capital , notably air, water, soil, and forest, freshwater, wetland and marine ecosystems;

(e)

protecting, preserving and restoring biodiversity , including by halting and reversing its loss both inside and outside protected areas, and improving the health of the environment , notably air, water and soil, as well as tackling the degradation of marine and terrestrial ecosystems , in particular by implementing the targets outlined in the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 as well as those laid down in relevant Union legislation ;

(f)

promoting environmental sustainability and reducing key environmental and climate pressures related to production and consumption, in particular in the areas of energy, industrial development, buildings and infrastructure, mobility and the food system.

(f)

ensuring environmental sustainability , and significantly reducing key environmental and climate pressures related to the Union’s production and consumption footprint, including Union-driven global deforestation , in particular in the areas of energy, industrial development, buildings and infrastructure, mobility , tourism, international trade and food chains, including agriculture, fisheries and aquaculture, while internalising climate and environmental externalities;

(a)

ensuring effective and efficient implementation of Union legislation on environment and climate and striving for excellence in environmental performance at Union, national, regional and local levels including through providing appropriate administrative and compliance assurance capacity, as laid out in the regular Environmental Implementation Review, as well as stepping up action against environmental crime,

(a)

ensuring effective , swift and full implementation of Union legislation on environment and climate and striving for excellence in environmental performance at Union, national, regional and local levels including through providing additional and sufficient administrative and compliance assurance capacity, as laid out in the regular Environmental Implementation Review;

(aa)

improving guidance and recommendations, and ensuring effective, dissuasive and proportionate penalties, including fines, to reduce risks of non-compliance with environmental law, including in relation to wildlife trafficking, waste crime and illegal logging, as well as stepping up action in the area of environmental liability and responses to non-compliance and strengthening prosecutorial and judicial cooperation in the area of, and law enforcement against, environmental crime as laid down in relevant Union legislation, such as Directive 2008/99/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council  (1a) , as well as provisions falling under the scope of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and the United Nations Convention against Corruption;

(ab)

prioritising enforcement of Union environmental law where implementation is lacking, with swift and systematic follow-up of infringement proceedings, including by ensuring that sufficient financial and human resources are allocated at both Union and Member State level for this purpose;

—

mainstreaming the priority objectives set out in Article 2 in all relevant strategies, legislative and non-legislative initiatives, programmes, investments and projects at Union, national, regional and local levels so that they and their implementation do no harm to any of the priority objectives set out in Article 2;

—

mainstreaming the priority objectives set out in Article 2 as well as the SDGs in all relevant strategies, legislative and non-legislative initiatives, programmes, investments and projects at Union, national, regional and local levels as well as in relevant international agreements concluded by the Union, in order to ensure that these strategies, legislative and non-legislative initiatives, programmes, investments, projects and agreements and their implementation contribute, where relevant, to the priority objectives set out in Article 2 (1) and (2), and do no harm, including in line with Article 17 of the Taxonomy Regulation ;

—

paying careful attention to synergies and potential trade-offs between economic, environmental and social objectives so as to ensure that citizens’ needs for nutrition , housing and mobility are met in a sustainable way that leaves no-one behind;

—

systematically and comprehensively evaluating synergies and potential trade-offs between environmental, social and economic objectives for all initiatives so as to ensure that wellbeing, and, in particular, people’s right to, and need for, a healthy environment, and affordable high-quality, accessible water, food , housing , energy, healthcare and mobility are ensured in a sustainable way that leaves no-one behind;

—

adopting a ‘think sustainability first’ approach in the Better Regulation guidelines and toolbox, including by integrating and operationalising the principle of ’do no significant harm’ as referred to in Article 17 of the Taxonomy Regulation;

—

ensuring the consistency of Union measures and policies, including sectoral legislation, the Union’s external action, and the Union budget as well as national or regional plans relating to the implementation of Union legislation submitted by Member States to the Commission, with the priority objectives set out in Article 2(1) and (2);

—

regularly evaluating existing policies and preparing impact assessments for new initiatives, which are based on wide consultations following procedures that are accountable, inclusive, informed and simple to implement, and which pay due regard to projected impacts on environment and climate;

—

regularly evaluating existing policies and preparing comprehensive impact assessments for new initiatives, which are based on wide and transparent consultations following procedures that are accountable, inclusive, informed and simple to implement, and which take into account the full range of immediate and long-term impacts on the environment and climate , including their cumulative effects, as well as the costs of action and inaction ;

(c)

effectively integrating environmental and climate sustainability in the European Semester of economic governance, including in the National Reform Programmes and National Recovery and Resilience plans;

(c)

effectively integrating the SDGs as well as climate, environmental , including biodiversity, and social objectives in the European Semester of economic governance, without prejudice to its original purpose, including in the country-specific recommendations, National Reform Programmes and National Recovery and Resilience plans in order to provide Member States with analysis and additional indicators ;

(ca)

establishing an overarching Union framework to measure and establish progress towards a sustainable wellbeing economy that is in line with the SDGs, the Paris Agreement and the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, without prejudice to the European Semester, and that helps guide the development and coordination of new and existing policies and initiatives, whilst integrating the transition to a sustainable wellbeing economy where growth is regenerative into the Union’s political priorities and annual programming as well as in the Better Regulation guidelines and toolbox;

(d)

mobilising sustainable investments from public and private sources, including of funds and instruments available under the Union budget, via the European Investment Bank and at national level;

(d)

mobilising and ensuring sufficient sustainable investments from public and private sources, including of funds and instruments available under the Union budget, via the European Investment Bank and at national level , consistent with the Union’s sustainable finance strategy, including measures laid down in the Taxonomy Regulation and its principle of ‘do no significant harm’, and given the potential of these measures to create jobs, ensure the Union’s long-term competiveness, and increase the resilience of the Union’s economy and society ;

(e)

phasing out environmentally harmful subsidies at Union and national level , making the best use of market-based instruments and green budgeting tools, including those required to ensure a socially fair transition, and supporting businesses and other stakeholders in developing standardised natural capital accounting practices ;

(e)

phasing out all direct and indirect fossil fuel subsidies at Union, national , regional and local level without delay and by 2025 at the latest ;

(ea)

phasing out all direct and indirect environmentally harmful subsidies other than fossil fuel subsidies, at Union, national, regional and local level without delay and by 2027 at the latest;

(eb)

making the best use of environmental taxation and market-based instruments, as well as green budgeting and financing tools and environmentally positive incentives, including those required to ensure a socially fair transition, and supporting businesses and other stakeholders in applying standardised natural capital accounting practices provided this does not replace targets and measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions or to protect biodiversity;

(ec)

investing into biodiversity protection and restoration in line with the minimum annual spending targets agreed through the 2021-2027 MFF (7,5  % in 2024, and 10 % in 2026 and 2027), with the intention to progressively increase these targets under the subsequent MFF, and in line with the funding objectives in the 2030 EU Biodiversity Strategy, tracked by way of a robust, transparent and comprehensive methodology taking into account the Union's taxonomy criteria;

(ed)

ensuring effective climate and biodiversity mainstreaming and proofing of Union and national budgets as well as consistency between climate and biodiversity funding;

(ee)

ensuring that actions taken to achieve the priority objectives of the 8th EAP are carried out in a socially fair and inclusive way, contributing to the European Pillar of Social Rights and effectively addressing and reducing social inequalities, including gender inequality, potentially resulting from climate and environmental related impacts and policies;

(ef)

mainstreaming gender throughout the 8th EAP, including by carrying out gender impact assessments and gender-responsive actions;

(f)

ensuring that environmental policies and action are based on the best available scientific knowledge and strengthening the environmental knowledge base and its uptake, including by research, innovation, fostering green skills, and further building up environmental and ecosystem accounting;

(f)

ensuring that environmental policies and action at Union, national, regional and local level, are based on the best available scientific knowledge and technologies and strengthening the environmental knowledge base , including indigenous and local knowledge, and its uptake, including by research, innovation fostering green skills , training and retraining , and further building up environmental and ecosystem accounting;

(fa)

building up the scientific knowledge base on the capacity of different ecosystems to act as sinks and stocks for greenhouse gases;

(fb)

building up the knowledge base on the requirements for systemic change, including on how to identify, measure and evaluate the effects of, inter alia, tipping points, feedback loops, lock-ins, interdependencies and barriers to fundamental change in environmental and socio-economic systems and how to shift from a silo- and sector-based policy focus to a systemic approach to policy coherence, as well as on how to prevent or alleviate any adverse social, economic and environmental impacts;

(fc)

closing gaps in, and optimising, relevant indicator sets relating to, inter alia, systemic change, planetary boundaries, the Union’s environmental footprint, including in relation to production and consumption systems, governance, sustainable finance and inequalities, and ensuring that those indicator sets are comparable at all levels of policy making;

(fd)

ensuring the full participation of, and cooperation with, regional and local authorities across all dimensions of environmental policy-making through a collaborative and multi-level approach and ensuring that local and regional communities have adequate resources for implementation on the ground;

(fe)

strengthening cooperation between all Union institutions on climate and environment policy, including between the Commission and the Committee of the Regions in the framework of the Technical Platform for Cooperation on the Environment, and exploring how to improve dialogue and information pooling;

(ff)

fully respecting, and ensuring application of, the precautionary principle, as well as the principles that preventive action should be taken, that environmental damage should, as a priority, be rectified at source and that the polluter should pay, pursuant to Article 191 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union;

(fg)

addressing land degradation and establishing a Union-wide legal framework for the protection and sustainable use of soil, which includes harmonised indicators and a monitoring and reporting methodology;

(fh)

transforming the food system, including via the common agricultural policy, to bring it in line with the 8th EAP’s priority objectives, so that it contributes, inter alia, to protecting and restoring biodiversity, in and outside the Union, minimises chemical, antibiotic and fossil-fuel based inputs, and ensures a high level of animal welfare whilst ensuring a just transition for affected stakeholders;

(fi)

(fj)

(g)

harnessing the potential of digital and data technologies to support environment policy while minimising their environmental footprint;

(g)

harnessing the potential of digital and data technologies to support environment policy , including by delivering real-time data and information on the state of ecosystems, while increasing efforts to minimise the environmental footprint of these technologies, and ensuring transparency and public accessibility of the data and information ;

(ga)

holistically recognising the interconnections between human health, animal health and the environment through full integration of the ‘One Health’ approach in policy making;

(gb)

recognising the right to a healthy environment in the Charter of the Fundamental Rights of the European Union and promoting a similar right internationally;

(h)

making full use of nature based solutions and social innovation;

(h)

making full use of ecosystem approaches and green infrastructure, including nature based solutions (NBS), whilst:

—

maximising connectivity between ecosystems and restoration benefits and building on synergies between biodiversity conservation and climate change mitigation and adaptation;

—

ensuring that their implementation enhances ecosystem services and functions, does not compromise biodiversity and ecosystem integrity, does not replace or undermine measures taken to protect biodiversity or rapidly reduce greenhouse gas emissions within the Union, respects the precautionary principle, has clear societal co-benefits, and ensures full engagement with, and consent of, affected indigenous people and local communities;

—

further developing monitoring methods, evaluation tools and measurable indicators for NBS as well as developing a list of excluded activities;

—

ensuring that where NBS are financed by biodiversity offsetting mechanisms, these mechanisms are appropriately implemented, monitored, evaluated and enforced and take full account of direct, indirect and cumulative impacts, geographically and over time whilst also strictly adhering to a mitigation hierarchy ensuring that, inter alia, biodiversity offsets can only be used as a measure of last resort;

—

ensuring that where biodiversity offsetting mechanisms are used to finance NBS, information about these mechanisms is made publicly available online;

—

making full use of social innovation and community led action to enable individuals, communities and SMEs to take action towards the achievement of the 8th EAP’s priority objectives;

(i)

effectively applying high standards for transparency, public participation and access to justice in accordance with the Convention on access to information, public participation in decision-making and access to justice in environmental matters (Aarhus Convention) (35);

(i)

effectively applying high standards for transparency, public participation and access to justice in accordance with the Convention on access to information, public participation in decision-making and access to justice in environmental matters (Aarhus Convention) (35) both at Union and Member State level ;

(ja)

promoting communication activities at Union, national, regional and local level, aimed at raising awareness about the importance of the 8th EAP’s priority objectives, and at enabling debate at all levels of governance and society;

(jb)

significantly decreasing the Union's material and consumption footprints to bring them into planetary boundaries as soon as possible, including through the introduction of binding Union targets for significantly reducing the Union's material and consumption footprints as well as binding mid-term and long-term targets for the reduction in the use of primary raw materials;

—

engaging with partner countries on climate and environmental action, encouraging and supporting them to adopt and implement rules in these areas that are as ambitious as those of the Union, and ensuring that all products placed on the Union market fully comply with relevant Union requirements in line with the Union’s international commitments;

—

engaging with third countries on climate and environmental action, encouraging and supporting them to adopt and implement rules in these areas that are at least as ambitious as those of the Union, and ensuring that all products placed on the Union market or exported from the Union fully comply with relevant Union requirements in line with the Union’s international commitments;

—

promoting sustainable corporate governance and establishing mandatory due diligence requirements at Union level, and taking these requirements into account in the conduct of Union trade policy, including in relation to the ratification of trade and investment agreements;

—

enhancing cooperation with governments, businesses and civil society in third countries and international organisations to form partnerships and alliances for environment protection and promoting environmental cooperation in G7 and G20 ;

—

enhancing cooperation with governments, businesses , social partners and civil society in third countries and international organisations to form partnerships and alliances for environment protection and promoting environmental cooperation;

—

strengthening the implementation of the Paris Agreement, the Convention on Biological Diversity and other multilateral environmental agreements by the Union and its partners , including by increasing transparency and accountability as regards progress on the commitments made under those agreements;

—

demonstrating leadership in international fora by, inter alia, achievement by the Union of the SDGs as well as the objectives laid down in the Paris Agreement, the Convention on Biological Diversity and other multilateral environmental agreements and supporting third countries to do the same , including by increasing transparency and accountability as regards progress on the commitments made under those agreements;

—

ensuring that the Union and the Member States’ financial assistance to third countries promotes the UN 2030 Agenda.

—

ensuring that the Union and the Member States’ financial assistance to third countries promotes the UN 2030 Agenda , the Paris Agreement and the post-2020 global framework of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity and is in line with the priority objectives of the 8th EAP .

(a)

improve and expand on, by 30 June 2022, and subsequently keep updated, its existing public database on infringement decisions so that steps taken by Member States and by the Commission in relation to all infringement proceedings in the field of environment and climate may be tracked in a clear, understandable and accessible way;

(b)

regularly assess the consistency of Union measures and policies with the priority objectives set out in Article 2(1) and (2) and carry out such assessments for draft and existing Union measures and policies; where inconsistencies are identified, the draft measure or policy shall be aligned with these priority objectives before publication or, in the case of existing Union measures and policies, the necessary remedying measures proposed;

(c)

develop tools to assess the long-term impacts on the environment and climate, including cumulative effects, of draft and existing measures and policies, as well as their possible impacts on social inequalities, including gender inequality, and the cost of inaction;

(d)

within eight weeks of closure of a public consultation, systematically present detailed feedback on stakeholder consultation responses, distinguishing between contributions from different types of stakeholders;

(e)

publish impact assessments immediately upon their completion, including all the information used to inform their conclusion;

(f)

develop an indicator to assess the discrepancy between the structure of Member States’ budgets and the Paris-aligned scenario for each of their national budgets, thereby enabling recommendations to Member States on the climate investments required in order for them to meet, and stay on, the required trajectory to ensure achievement of the Paris Agreement and related 8th EAP priority objectives;

(g)

present, by 30 June 2022, a report in which it identifies the interlinkages between the various indicator sets, monitoring frameworks and processes in use at Union level that measure social, economic and environmental progress and which highlights how these can be streamlined; on this basis, the Commission shall, by 30 June 2023, in consultation with the European Parliament and the Council, develop a comprehensive set of ‘beyond GDP’ indicators to guide and inform future policy making, without prejudice to the European Semester;

—

progress made towards systemic change that is needed in order to achieve the priority objectives set out in Article 2(1) and (2), as soon as the monitoring framework allows for this;

—

distance to the targets set in place to achieve the priority objectives set out in Article 2(1) and (2);

—

funding contributing to the achievement of the priority objectives set out in Article 2(1) and (2), tracked by way of a robust, transparency and comprehensive methodology;

—

the means of implementation that have been applied at Union and Member State level to ensure the achievement of the priority objectives, and whether these are sufficient; and

—

recommendations and guidelines to address potential inconsistencies.

(a)

gathering, processing and reporting evidence and data with modern digital tools;

(a)

gathering, processing and reporting evidence and data with modern digital tools , whilst improving methodologies for data collection and treatment and for developing harmonised indicators ;

(aa)

strengthening and providing support to basic research, mapping and monitoring;

(b)

working towards closing the relevant monitoring data gaps;

(b)

assessing the resources required and working towards closing the relevant monitoring data gaps , including in relation to measuring systemic change ;

(c)

delivering policy-relevant and systemic analyses, and contributing to implementing policy objectives at Union and national level;

(c)

delivering policy-relevant and systemic analyses, and contributing to implementing policy objectives at Union and national level, including by proposing recommendations to enhance the progress in achieving the objectives ;

(ca)

compiling tools such as foresight tools, which can also provide information on ‘distance to target’;

(d)

integrating data on environmental, social and economic impacts, and exploiting fully other available data, such as those delivered by Copernicus;

(d)

integrating data on environmental , health , social and economic impacts, and exploiting fully other available data, such as those delivered by Copernicus;

(da)

closing critical knowledge gaps on ecological tipping points;

(db)

developing models to assess and predict the projected impacts of policies related to the environment and climate on future generations;

(e)

further improving access to data through Union programmes;

(e)

further improving availability, interoperability and access to data through Union programmes;

(g)

helping civil society, public authorities , citizens , social partners and the private sector identify climate and environmental risks and take action to prevent, mitigate and adapt to them , and fostering their engagement in closing knowledge gaps.

(g)

helping civil society, public authorities at national, regional and local level, individuals and communities , social partners and the private sector identify climate and environmental risks , assess their impact and take action to prevent, mitigate and adapt to such risks , and fostering their engagement in closing knowledge gaps;

(ga)

encouraging citizen observation and reporting of environmental issues and compliance gaps, including through the use of online mechanisms and mobile phone apps to facilitate reporting.