·The EU actively contributed to the adoption of four substantive guidance documents under the Convention on Biological Diversity on: (i) the integration of protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures; (ii) avoidance of unintentional introduction of invasive alien species; (iii) the design and implementation of ecosystem-based approaches to climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction; and (iv) an updated action plan 20182030 for the international initiative on conservation and sustainable use of pollinators.

·The EU participated in the first joint IPCC-IPBES Workshop on Biodiversity and Climate Change: Integrated Science for Coherent Policy, in Paris on 18 October 2018. In the Workshop it was recommended that an expert meeting be set up in 2019, to distil key messages from the three climate reports on 1.5 °C, on land and on oceans, as well as the IPBES global assessment and the land degradation report, relevant to both climate and biodiversity. These messages aim to support the outcomes in the 6th IPCC assessment report.

·In 2018, the EU participated for the first time as enhanced observer in the IPBES plenary where there were four regional IPBES assessments on biodiversity and ecosystem services and one thematic assessment on land degradation and restoration in 2018.

·The renewal of the Cooperation Agreement with UNEP under the EU thematic programme for Global Public Goods and Challenges is planned for 2018-2020 with an envisaged EU contribution of EUR 10 million to be increased in 2019 and 2020.

·The Commission adopted a recommendation to the Council to authorise the opening of negotiations for the Global Pact for Environment.

·The EU actively contributed to the adoption of a global action plan for restoration under the Convention on Biological Diversity.

·The EU Global Public Goods and Challenges invested EUR 692 million for external action on environment protection and for combatting climate change during 2014-2017 (and EUR 635 million to be invested in 2018-2020).

·The EU proposed concrete ways on how to prepare for the implementation of the CORSIA (Carbon Offsetting Scheme for International Aviation) instrument decided at the level of ICAO, the International Civil Aviation Organisation.

·On 15 October 2016, the EU welcomed the agreement reached in Kigali, Rwanda, on a global phasing out of climate-warming hydrofluorocarbon gases (HFCs). The 197 Parties (196 countries and the EU) to the Montreal Protocol agreed to the amendment to bring HFCs within the scope of this international treaty that has been so successful in phasing out ozone depleting substances that were used in the same sectors.

·On the margins of the Marrakech climate conference, there was a shift from intergovernmental negotiation to the showcasing of best practices and action. DG CLIMA was in the lead for more than 100 events being organised and Commission DGs collaborated successfully. Key outcomes included sustained momentum and global determination, as evidenced by the "Marrakech Action Proclamation", the strong evidence of solidarity and action (e.g. on climate finance, the adaptation fund and capacity building) as well as the steady progress on the Paris rulebook, which was due to be delivered by 2018.

·During the Marrakech climate conference, the EU expected tangible progress on key elements of the Paris package, including on access to finance for developing countries and on establishing and strengthening the skills and processes needed in developing countries to implement their domestic climate plans.

·The signing in April 2016 of the Paris Agreement, the new legally binding global climate change agreement reached at COP 21 in December 2015 by 196 Parties (including the EU and its Member States). This was quickly ratified by the EU on 5 October 2016. This led to the entry into force of the Agreement on 4 November, just days ahead of the Marrakech climate conference.

·Promotion of the environment in the G7/G20 including the G7 Environment Ministerial meeting: several workshops organised in the context of the G7 Alliance on Resource Efficiency. Adoption of the Toyama Framework on Materials Cycles by the G7 Environment Ministers.

·The European Commission adopted an EU action plan to tackle wildlife trafficking within the EU and to strengthen the EU's role in the global fight against these illegal activities.

·The EU, leading the 'High-Ambition Coalition', was a major player in the successful negotiations for a new historic legally binding global climate agreement by 196 parties at the UN climate conference in Paris on 12 December 2015 (COP21) to keep global temperature increase well below 2 °C.

·To advance the implementation of the MoU signed in June 2014, the European Commission and UNEP agreed to an Annex that lists common policy areas (6) for consolidated or strengthened dialogue and cooperation. They also agreed to establish regular dialogues in each of those policy areas.

·To further the implementation of the MoU signed in June 2014, the European Commission and UNEP agreed to an Annex that listed common policy areas (6) for consolidated or better dialogue and cooperation. They also agreed to establish regular dialogues in each of those policy areas.

·Preparations were made for the start of the special programme to support the institutional strengthening at national level for implementing the Basel, Rotterdam, Stockholm, and Minamata Conventions

·Coordination and representation of the EU positions at the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conferences of the Parties, at the Seventh session of the intergovernmental negotiating committee on mercury (INC 7) and the Fourth Session of the International Conference on Chemicals Management under the UN’s Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management

·Establishment of a new Cooperation Agreement with UNEP under the EU thematic programme for global public goods and challenges. The agreement received a total EU contribution of EUR 37 million over 2014-2017 to strengthen UNEP work in environmental advocacy and monitoring including more effective implementation of and synergies among MEAS involving chemicals, waste and biodiversity.

·The European Commission and UNEP renewed their MOU to step up their collaboration in common areas of interest, including through dialogues on related policy matters.

·The EU ratified the Nagoya Protocol on access to genetic resources and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from their utilisation under the Convention on Biological Diversity in 2014.

·A clear path towards an agreement on a post 2015 framework for poverty eradication and sustainable development was created and the main inputs (goals, targets and means of implementation) for the framework were agreed. The EU set out its views on the priority themes and prepared views on the means of implementation.

·The EU supports the International Climate Action Partnership (ICAP) that encompasses all jurisdictions actively implementing the ETS and fosters exchange and dissemination of technical expertise on ETS amongst practitioners

·The EU has active ongoing bilateral cooperation and exchange with both China and South Korea on implementing of ETS (including the provision of significant technical assistance and support).

·The EU is the largest contributor (USD20 million) to the Partnership for Market Readiness, controlled by the World Bank, which supports 19 countries in implementing market instruments and readiness projects around the world.

·The EU works closely with jurisdictions across the world that are considering, operating and implementing carbon market mechanisms, in particular emissions trading systems.

·The linking agreement between the EU ETS and the Swiss ETS has been signed and is in the process of being ratified both sides.

·Continued support was offered to tackling illegal logging and associated trade in Africa through FLEGT, and Voluntary Partnership Agreements were further concluded between the European Union, Guyana and Honduras on forest law enforcement, governance and trade in timber products to the European Union.

·Ministerial meeting for of the Eastern Partnership on environment and climate took place in October 2018.

·Recommendation of the Energy Community Ministerial Council on the preparation of integrated national energy and climate plans (applicable to Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Georgia, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia and Ukraine).

·For Turkey, cross-cutting legislation, water, air quality and nature protection areas, as well as climate action areas, still has to be addressed.

·First EU- Kazakhstan Sub-committee on Energy, Transport, Environment and Climate change under the new Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement held in Astana, back-to-back with a technical assistance and information exchange (TAIEX) workshop on climate cooperation.

·The EU – Indonesia Working Group on Environment and Climate Change was established and two meetings took place, in Indonesia and in Brussels.

·Alignment with climate policies and legislation continues for Western Balkan countries and Turkey within the EU-funded Regional Implementation of Paris Agreement Project.

·Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia have ratified the Paris Agreement. Serbia has drafted the Climate Law with ETS and MMR provisions.

·Recommendation of the Energy Community Ministerial Council on preparing for the implementation of Regulation (EU) No 525/2013 on a mechanism for monitoring and reporting greenhouse gas emissions (applicable to Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Georgia, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia and Ukraine).

·The Climate Change Working Group of the US-EU Energy Council was established in May 2016 and convened in September 2016.

·A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on a Strategic Energy Partnership between Ukraine and the EU on water cooperation was adopted, which provides for collaboration in the area of the decarbonisation of the economy.

·Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Areas (DCFTAs) are part of the Association Agreements for Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia. DCFTAs are currently being negotiated with Morocco and Tunisia;

·The EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreements (CETA) was signed along with the EU-Canada Strategic Partnership Agreement (SPA) that upgrades the current cooperation framework with Canada.

·The Association Agreement for Ukraine had still not been ratified but was being provisionally applied;

·For Turkey, cross-cutting legislation, water, air quality and nature protection as well as climate action areas still had to be addressed.

·Albania ratified the Paris Agreement on climate change and drafted strategy on climate change and the Law on Climate Change.

·Serbia and Montenegro made progress in further aligning policies and legislation with the environment acquis. Both countries have submitted strategies for implementation of EU acquis which the Commission has recommended to the Council as a sufficient basis for the opening of the formal enlargement negotiations of Chapter 27 (Environment).

·For Southern Periphery countries, the outline of national climate strategies was presented in all submitted intended nationally determined contributions. These strategies remain under development.

·For Eastern Partnership countries in Association Agreements with EU (Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine): launch of activities for implementing climate-related acquis identified in those agreements – early stage. Domestic climate strategies remain under development.

·Montenegro adopted climate strategy, Kosovo endorsed Low Emissions and Adaptation to climate change Strategy, Serbia prepared legislation on ETS and on monitoring, reporting and verification on shimming emissions, Kosovo on MMR.

·All enlargement countries continued working on approximation of environment and climate change legislation in the framework of the Environment and Climate Regional Accession Network.

·After a three-year hiatus, bilateral discussions on the environment and climate change were resumed with Turkey. The areas of cross-cutting legislation, water, air quality, nature protection and climate action still had to be addressed.

·The EU also contributed to tackling illegal logging and its associated global trade by implementing the EU Timber Regulation, and based on a Commission proposal the Council decided on the conclusion of the Voluntary Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Indonesia on forest law enforcement, governance and trade in timber products to the European Union.

·2014 marked the entry into force of the Association Agreements with Moldova, Georgia and Ukraine, which contain very ambitious environmental chapters requiring approximation with a significant portion of the EU environmental rules and laws.

·Montenegro continued to work on the comprehensive national strategy and action plan, which was to demonstrate how it is going to align with EU law.

·2019 Reflection Paper ‘Towards a Sustainable Europe by 2030, on the follow-up to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, including on the Paris Agreement on Climate Change’.

·Additionally, a number of policy and legal initiatives and actions referred to elsewhere in the 7th EAP evaluation implement the Rio+20 and 2030 Agenda commitments.

·Publication of ‘Larger than Tigers. Inputs for a strategic approach to biodiversity conservation in Asia’ which sets the strategic framework to guide EU biodiversity investments in 25 Asian countries. As with the Africa strategic document it is fully aligned with the 5 pillars of the European Consensus on Development.

·These documents in 2016 and 2017 set out the EU internal and external implementation of the 2030 Agenda.

·Publication of ‘Larger than Elephants. Inputs for an EU strategic approach to wildlife conservation in Africa’. This document provides the strategic framework to guide EU biodiversity investments in Africa. It promotes a universal landscape approach to biodiversity integrating the needs of protected areas, local communities and private sector, and is fully aligned with the 5 pillars of the European Consensus on Development (people, planet, prosperity, peace and partnership)

·Publication of the EU action plan against wildlife trafficking. By reducing the volume of illegal wildlife from outside of Europe that is either consumed, or passes through Europe, the action plan will contribute to strengthening governance, rule of law, sustainable livelihoods, and security in the source countries.

·In September 2015, EU Heads of State and Government, together with their counterparts from all 193 UN member countries, unanimously adopted Agenda 2030 with 17 SDGs to eradicate poverty and achieve sustainable development by 2030.

·Throughout 2014 and the first part of 2015, the EU participated in the negotiations for the adoption of the SDGs as part of the UN’s post-2015 agenda, first in the Open Working Group, then in intergovernmental negotiations.

·The two Communications mentioned above and the related Council Conclusions set out clearly the EU’s vision and priorities for the path towards an agreement on a post-2015 framework for eradicating poverty and achieving sustainable development. The EU’s views on the main inputs (goals, targets and means of implementation) for the framework were agreed upon.

·The Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy and the Compact of Mayors merged to create the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy. Currently more than 7 000 EU local authorities from the 28 Member States, representing almost 200 million inhabitants, have signed up to the Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy. They have committed to developing, implementing and reporting on sustainable energy and climate change mitigation and/or adaptation action plans.

·Development of a green city tool that will help cities to assess, benchmark, and improve their environmental performance over time.

·The EU Urban Agenda, also known as the Pact of Amsterdam, was launched establishing a new platform of policy analysis by cities, Member States and the Commission, covering environmental issues such as air, land use and the circular economy.

·The Commission launched the new Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy, integrating both the Covenant of Mayors and the Mayors Adapt initiatives. The new Covenant therefore covers sustainable energy, climate change mitigation and adaptation, as well as access to energy.

·The Covenant of Mayors (launched in 2008 in Europe with the ambition to gather local governments voluntarily committed to achieving and exceeding the EU climate and energy targets) has grown steadily, with the Commission launching Mayors Adapt (the Covenant of Mayors Initiative on Adaptation to Climate Change) in 2014.

·In 2013, the ‘Greening the European Semester’ expert group was established and since 2017 it has been discussing the Environmental implementation Review (EIR) to promote synergy between the Semester and EIR.

·On 1 June 2018, the Commission published the legislative proposals for the next CAP (2020-2027). These proposals aim to introduce a new delivery model, based on higher subsidiarity. They also aim to foster a higher degree of ambition for the environment and climate.

·The newly amended Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Directive (2014/52/EU) entered into force in 2014 to simplify the rules for assessing the potential effects of projects on the environment and improve the level of environmental protection.

·The Commission adopted around 100 ex-post evaluations a year and around 70 ex-ante impact assessments a year. Each is scrutinised by the Regulatory Scrutiny Board to ensure they include a proportionate assessment of economic, social and environmental impacts.

·The list of 100 EU indicators for monitoring progress towards the SDGs was revised and published in March, and Eurostat published a second report on monitoring EU progress towards the SDGs.

·The Commission adopted the monitoring framework on the circular economy, in order to measure progress towards the circular economy in the EU and Member States. The framework included 10 indicators cover economic, social and environmental aspects of circular economy.

·Eurostat published the EU SDG indicators used to monitor progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals of the global 2030 agenda for sustainable development, and in November the first report on the progress made towards achieving the SDGs was published; the economic, social, environmental and governance indicators were included, and were partially in line with the global SDG indicators adopted by the UN.

·Economic, social and environmental indicators are used in the context of the European Semester (country reports and thematic factsheets).

·The Council and European Parliament adopted the Regulation on Environmental Economic accounts adding three additional modules on the environmental goods and service sector, environmental protection expenditure and energy flow accounts, thus amending the 2011 Regulation on environmental economic accounts.

·Eurostat updates the Resource Efficiency Scoreboard, with a series of reports published by the European Commission in 2014, 2015 and 2016.

·Sustainable development indicators to monitor progress on the revised sustainable development strategy were published by Eurostat and communicated in biannual reports.

·Finalisation of the ongoing evaluation of the Energy Taxation Directive (ETD), 2003/96/EC. The evaluation is examining, among other things, the impact of the current minimum levels of taxation laid down in the ETD for the different energy products on consumption behaviour (and potentially on the quality of the environment).

·A pilot project ‘Capacity building, programmatic development and communication in the field of environmental taxation and budgetary reform’ investigated the use of economic instruments and led to exchanges of experience, knowledge and best practice.

·Report on phase 1 of the knowledge innovation project on an integrated system of natural capital and ecosystem services accounting in the EU (KIP-INCA Phase 1 report)

·The Winter Energy Union Package stepped up the EU's action in removing fossil fuels subsidies and internalising environmental costs in line with the 7th EAP.

·In 2015, a new financing instrument - the Natural Capital Financing Facility (NCFF) – was launched to support projects that help to preserve natural capital, including adaptation to climate change.

·The Commission published the legislative proposals for the next CAP (2020-2027). The proposals aim to introduce a new delivery model, based on higher subsidiarity. They also aim to foster a higher degree of ambition for the environment and climate.

·To stimulate integration of climate and environment considerations in the financial markets, the EU adopted the EU sustainable finance action plan, and followed this up with a legislative package.

·The 2017 MFF mid-term review took stock of progress towards the 20 % climate mainstreaming target and the EU budget’s contribution to biodiversity. Building on its success, the Commission proposed a new target of 25% contribution to climate objectives for the next MFF 2021-2027, and identified specific expected climate contributions for the main programmes concerned.

·As a part of the approach to integrate/mainstream climate action across all EU policies and programmes, the Commission proposed and the Council and European Parliament endorsed the objective of allocating at least 20% of the 2014-2020 multi-annual financial framework (MFF) to climate related objectives.

·Overall the 118 rural development plans have allocated approximately 44 % of the EARDF to priority 4 of EU’s common priorities for rural development (EUR 44 billion) (restoring, preserving and enhancing ecosystems related to agriculture and forestry) and 7.5 % to priority 5 (promoting resource efficiency and supporting the shift towards a low carbon and climate resilient) (EUR 7.5 billion).

oA maximum of 75 % of EAFRD contributions is directed towards operations supporting the objectives of environment and climate change mitigation and adaptation.

oMember States are required to spend a minimum of 30 % of the total contribution of the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) to each rural development programme on climate change mitigation and adaptation as well as on environmental issues. Such spending is carried out through agri-environment-climate and organic farming payments, payments to areas facing natural or other specific constraints, payments for forest climate and environment interventions, payments for Natura 2000 areas and climate and environment-related investment support. This represents approximately EUR 30 billion.

oAt least 30% of direct payments were earmarked for agricultural practices that benefit the climate and the environment. This represents approximately EUR 93 billion.

·The 2013 CAP Reform made the following funding for environmental action available under the two pillars of the CAP:

·Report on the insurance of weather and climate-related disaster risk. Providing an inventory and analysis of mechanisms to support damage prevention in the EU.

·Web monitoring of environmental risks: based on a text mining tool developed by the JRC for media monitoring (EMM), a specific version for monitoring environmental risks through web sources has been developed.

·Report on the identification of emerging risks: review of scientific literature was carried out to screen all main approaches for identifying emerging environmental risks, Identifying emerging risks for environmental policy, science for environment policy.

·Report on integrated environmental assessment: A Science for Environment Policies Thematic Issue explores the scientific literature on environmental risk assessment, including challenges and opportunities for better integration across sectors and impacts.

·Report on Risk Perception: A Science for Environment Policies Future Brief to review scientific literature on risk communication and the public perception of risk.

·Contribution to the first IPBES global assessment on biodiversity and ecosystem services, which is foreseen to be adopted in 2019.

·IPBES 6 2018 four regional assessments on biodiversity and ecosystem services (Africa, Americas, Asia & Pacific, Europe and Central Asian regions) and thematic assessment on land degradation and restoration.

·Preliminary projections of economic impacts of climate change in sectors of the EU based on bottom-up analysis (PESETA III) developed by the JRC and published in 2017-2018.

·Science-policy symposium on the environmental and climate aspects of the next EU research and innovation programme.

·Contribution to the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) thematic and regional assessments (IPBES 4 2016 thematic assessment on pollination pollinators and food security; methodological assessment on scenarios and models of biodiversity and ecosystem services).

·Creation of the Environment Knowledge Community (EKC) between DGs (DG Environment, DG Climate Action, DG Research, Science and Innovation, DG Eurostat, DG Joint Research Centre) and the European Environment Agency to improve the co-generation and sharing of environmental knowledge for EU policies. This led to EKC knowledge Innovation projects on planetary boundaries, and the creation of INCA (Integrated system for Natural Capital and ecosystem services Accounting), Citizens and Science and European (Environmental) Data Centres.

·EUR 1 868 million as EU funding through the research and innovation programme Horizon 2020 for the Societal Challenge ‘Climate action, environment, resource efficiency and raw materials’. The activities include fighting and adapting to climate change, protecting the environment, sustainably managing natural resources, such as water, biodiversity and ecosystems; ensuring the sustainable supply of non-energy and non-agricultural raw materials enabling the transition towards a green economy and society through eco-innovation; and developing comprehensive and sustained global environmental observation and information systems.

·In total around 120 research projects, reports and articles were identified on climate change adaptation under FP7 and H2020 as well as originating from JRC, EEA, service contracts of the Commission and other EU sources, involving a total budget of EUR 285 million. The most frequently addressed topics were water, nature, and agriculture; four LIFE integrated projects and over 90 LIFE traditional projects have been launched to improve the climate knowledge base.

·Progress made on further development of the biodiversity knowledge base: the Initial Mapping and Assessment of Ecosystems and their Services (MAES) and the strengthening of the EU Biodiversity Information System for Europe.

-second, it aims to develop the evidence-base on complaint-handling practices in Member States as part of a wider assessment framework on governance.

·The 9-point environmental compliance and governance action plan, adopted by the Commission on 18 January 2018, has 2 points (actions) relevant to this 7th EAP a:

·The Commission adopted a new EIR) process with 28 country specific reports with the next set of reports due in spring 2019.

·Development started on an assessment framework to improve the evidence base on compliance assurance approaches in the Member States in the wider context of environmental governance to prepare for the second round of the Environmental Implementation Review (EIR).

·Continuous cooperation with networks of practitioners (in particular IMPEL – European Union Network for the Implementation and Enforcement of the Environmental Law; BRIG – Better regulation Group of IMPEL; EUFJE – European Federation of Environmental Law Judges; ENPE – European network of Prosecutors). ENV also co-operated with Make it Work, a grouping of Member States led by the Netherlands, the UK and Germany, which showed a particular interest in environmental compliance assurance.

·Adoption of 10 national adaptation strategies by Member States, bringing up the total number to 25 Member States as of October 2018.

·Strengthening the EU's ability to prevent, prepare for and respond to natural disasters through the integration of climate change consideration into the European Civil Protection mechanism and the 2017 Commission proposal for the creation of the ‘rescEU’ system.

·Covenant of Mayors merges with the Compact of Mayors to form the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy.

·Launch of the Urban Agenda for the EU by means of the Pact of Amsterdam. This agenda is a new multi-level working method promoting cooperation between Member States, cities, the European Commission and other stakeholders in order to simulate growth, liveability and innovation European and to identify and successfully tackle social challenges.

·The EU submitted eight notifications of final regulatory action under the Rotterdam Convention on Prior Informed Consent, between 2013 and 2018 and submitted more than 33,000 export notifications to third countries between 2013 and 2018.

·A communication and a staff working document assessing the interface between chemicals, products and waste legislations, identifying challenges and options to address them

·Adoption of the new provision that ECHA must compile data on the content of SVHCs in articles and make this information available in a database by 2020 to waste treatment operators and consumers on request.

·The Commission adopted a restriction of the use of 32 CMR substances in textiles through REACH Article 68(2) (the ‘fast-track’ for CMRs in consumer products).

·Some 35 substances or groups of substances had been restricted under REACH by late 2018. Around 25 individual or groups of SVHCs had been authorised for use.

·By June, a total of 174 substances had been identified as substances of very high concern (SVHC) and listed on the REACH Candidate List, 30 of these after 2013.

·The final round of REACH registrations was finalised in May. A total, 21,551 unique chemicals placed on the EU and EES market in quantities over 1 tonne per producer/importer and per year have been registered.

·A Commission report on progress in implementing Directive 2009/128/EC on the sustainable use of pesticides was published.

·The Commission published the Study for the strategy for a non-toxic environment of the 7th Environment Action Programme and the ‘Study on the cumulative health and environmental benefits of chemical legislation’.

·The Commission provided the Report on the sustainable use of biocides under Article 18 of Regulation (EU) No 528/2012 concerning the making available on the market and use of biocidal products

·The Commission published a number of review reports focusing on existing methodologies and knowledge regarding the assessment of combination effects of chemicals.

·The triannual implementation synthesis report was published, including information provided voluntary on small supplies. In addition fact sheets for small supplies were published for all Member States.

·Annex III on health assessment methods is being drafted following the WHO (World Health Organisation) work on noise guidelines

·Annex II of the Environmental Noise Directive on common methods was adopted, allowing a single EU picture to be portrayed and to enable comparisons between different situations.

·Adoption of the 4th regulatory act on RDE testing, ensuring transparent and independent control of emissions of vehicles during their lifetime.

·Publication of ‘The First Clean Air Outlook’, a report that updates the impact assessment analysis to track progress towards the objectives of the Directive on the reduction of emissions of certain atmospheric pollutants.

·Commission Communication ‘A Europe that protects: Clean air for all’ outlining main policy initiatives under the current Commission in support of clean air and available funding to Member States to help them implement clean air policies.

·Publication of the conclusions for BAT for intensive rearing of poultry or pigs, BAT conclusions for large combustion plants, BAT conclusions for the production of large volume organic chemicals.

·Initiation of a Fitness Check of the Ambient Air Quality Directives (i.e. Directives 2004/107/EC and 2008/50/EC), as per the agreed roadmap. This fitness check will conclude in 2019.

·Launch of the Clean Air Forum to broadly engage with stakeholders; the inaugural Clean Air Forum on 16 and 17 November 2017 in Paris focused on three areas: air quality in cities; agriculture and air quality; and clean air business opportunities.

·Launch of Clean Air Dialogues (CADs) with Member States, focused on better understanding the models of air policy implementation in the Member States, exchanging of good practices, promoting synergies between different policy areas with an impact on air quality, and raising awareness on funding streams available through EU funds.

·Adoption of the Directive on reduction of national emissions of certain air pollutants, setting national emission reduction objectives for key pollutants (SO2, NOx, NMVOC, NH3 and PM2.5).

·Adoption of 1st and 2nd regulatory acts on real-driving emission (RDE) tests, a new test to measure cars' emissions before they are placed on the market.

·Adoption of the Directive on medium combustion plants, which will contribute up to 20% of the proposed 2030 air pollution reduction goals.

·Continued work on implementing the air quality legislation (this year all derogations/ time extensions allowed under the legislation expired); also first round of PM10 cases (BG and PL) referred to the European Court of Justice.

·Adoption of Commission Directive (EU) 2015/1480 amending several Annexes to Directives 2004/107/EC and 2008/50/EC laying down the rules concerning reference methods, data validation and location of sampling points for the assessment of ambient air quality.

·Two new conclusions on BATs under the Industrial Emissions Directive, for the refining of mineral oil and gas and for producing pulp, paper and board. Work to evaluate and refit the regulation dealing with the register of emissions from industrial facilities (the E-PRTR Regulation) also started.

·The Clean Air Package, adopted in December 2013, was designed to further reduce emissions to air by 2030, through the proposals for new national targets for reducing emissions revising the previous National Emission Ceilings Directive) and emission reductions from medium combustion plants (MCP Directive). The package also identified emissions from light vehicles (passenger cars and light commercial vehicles) as an area where special attention was needed.

·Follow-up of the compliance promotion exercise for implementing the Directive 2012/19/EU on WEEE. The launch of a study of which main objective was to assess the possibility of adopting an implementing act laying down minimum quality standards for WEEE treatment.

·Adoption of the ‘Report on implementation of waste legislation, including the Early Warning report’ discussing the state of implementation of some EU waste directives and setting out a shortlist of Member States at risk of not meeting the 2020 recycling target for municipal waste. Follow-up actions to the ‘Early Warning Report’.

·Adoption of revisions of Directive 2008/98/EC on waste, Directive 1999/31/EC on the landfill of waste, and Directive 94/62/EC on packaging and packaging waste.

·Adoption of the communication on the implementation of the circular economy package: options to address the interface between chemical, product and waste legislation.

·The report on the re-examination of the WEEE recovery targets, on the possible setting of separate targets for WEEE to be prepared for re-use and on the re-examination of the method for the calculation of the recovery targets set out in Article 11(6) of Directive 2012/19/EU on WEEE.

·The report on the review of the scope of Directive 2012/19/EU on WEEE and on the re-examination of the deadlines for reaching the collection targets and on the possibility of setting individual collection targets for one or more categories of electrical and electronic equipment in Annex III to the Directive.

·Commission implementing Regulation 2017/699 establishing a common methodology for the calculation of the weight of electrical and electronic equipment placed on the national market in each Member State and a common methodology for the calculation of the quantity of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) generated by weight in each Member State. The WEEE generated calculation tools which were developed for each Member State, form an integral part of the methodology.

·Adoption of a 'Construction and Demolition Waste Management Protocol', aimed at providing guidance to public authorities, practitioners and quality certification bodies on how to manage construction and demolition waste.

·Adoption of the 8th amendment of Annex II to the ELV Directive further limiting certain exemptions to the substance restrictions under the Directive (EU) 2017/2096.

·Adoption of Directive 2017/2102 to update the RoHS Directive 2011/65/EU containing further measures facilitating second-hand market operations as well as reuse and repair, thus avoiding an additional generation of hazardous waste and leading to savings of energy and raw materials.

·Update of the Annex III to Directive 2008/98/EC on the hazardous waste property ‘ecotoxic’ by Council Regulation (EU) 2017/997 to strengthen the alignment of waste classification with the new legislation on chemicals.

·Adoption of the Communication on the role of waste to energy in the circular economy.

·Adoption of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2016/1245 setting out a preliminary correlation table between codes of the Combined Nomenclature provided for in Council Regulation (EEC) No 2658/87 and entries of waste listed in Annexes III, IV and V to Regulation (EC) No 1013/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council on shipments of waste.

·Adoption of the first EU list of ship recycling facilities complying with environment and safety requirements (the list was amended in 2018).

·Adoption of a delegated act adding four hazardous substances (phthalates) to the list of restricted substances under the RoHS Directive 2011/65/EU.

·'Municipal Waste Compliance Promotion Exercise' Phase II took place from 2014 to 2015 through seminars with responsible authorities in eight more Member States with a low/middle performance in waste management.

·Adoption of Recommendation 2014/70/EU on minimum principles for the exploration and production of hydrocarbons (such as shale gas) using high volume hydraulic fracturing.

·Adoption of Regulation (EU) No 660/2014 of 15 May 2014 amending Regulation (EC) No 1013/2014 regarding the strengthening of Member States’ inspection systems.

·A Fitness Check Report to evaluate the effectiveness, efficiency, coherence and relevance of five waste stream Directives: Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive (94/62/EC), Batteries Directive (2006/66/EC), End of Life Vehicles (ELV) Directive (2000/53/EC), PCB/PCT Directive (96/59/EC), and the Sewage sludge Directive (86/278/EEC).

·Amendment of Commission Decision 2000/532/EC on the list of waste and Annex III to Directive 2008/98/EC on hazardous properties of waste by Decision 2014/955/EU and Commission Regulation (EU) No 1357/2014, respectively. All properties except eco-toxicity were updated, thus strengthening the alignment of waste classification with the new legislation on chemicals.

oan EU product policy framework contributing to the circular economy, including a revision of the environmental footprint methods and lessons learnt from the pilot phase;

·Adoption of the proposal for a ‘Directive on the impact of certain plastic products on the environment’.

·Adoption of the Communication ‘A New Deal for Consumers’, whose points related to misleading environmental claims, environmental information for consumers, and premature obsolescence contribute to the circular economy.

·Conclusion of the support study for the evaluation of the EU environmental technology verification (ETV) pilot programme including an ex-ante assessment of possible options for the future of an EU ETV scheme.

·The environmental footprint pilot phase was finalised, leading to the development of 21 product environmental footprint category rules and 2 organisation environemental footprint sectoral rules . The Environemental Footprint transition phase (covering 2018-2021) was launched.

·Adoption of a package of deliverables from the CEAP which includes, a proposal for the revision of the Directive on port reception facilities, ,and the monitoring framework to measure progress towards a circular economy. In addition, two other documents have been presented together with these measures: a report to the European Parliament and to the Council on the issue of oxo-degradable plastics and a staff working document on critical raw materials.

·The voluntary industry-wide tool known as Level(s) was made available, which has indicators to assess the sustainability performance of buildings; the test phase for this tool was also launched.

·Establishment in 2017 of a three-year pilot Observatory on Industrial Emissions that will test methods for improving the innovation incentives provided by BAT Reference documents (known as the BREFs).

·Conclusions on BAT for intensive rearing of poultry or pigs. Conclusions on BAT for large combustion plants. Conclusions on BAT for producing large volume organic chemicals.

·Adoption of the Report to the European Parliament and the Council on the review of the implementation of the eco-management and audit scheme (EMAS) Regulation and of the EU Ecolabel Regulation (REFIT).

·Adoption of a package of deliverables from the circular economy action plan (CEAP) which includes the CEAP Implementation Report, a communication on waste-to-energy processes and their role in the circular economy, and a proposal to make a targeted amendment to the Directive restricting the use of hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment (‘RoHS Directive’).

·Establishment of the European Resource Efficiency Knowledge Centre - a virtual centre that provides advice, training, capacity building opportunities, networking opportunities and information materials for EU SMEs and national and regional SME support organisations.

·Conclusions on BAT for common waste water and waste gas treatment/ management systems in the chemicals sector. Conclusions on BAT for the non-ferrous metals industries.

·Adoption of the EU action plan for the circular economy, composed of 54 planned actions covering key areas (production, consumption, waste management, market for secondary raw materials, innovation & investments, monitoring) and 5 key sectors (plastics, food waste, critical raw materials, construction and demolition, and biomass and bio-based materials).

·Adoption of the green action plan for SMEs providing a framework and including 39 measures that the EU, in partnership with Member States and regions, uses to help SMEs exploit the business opportunities offered by the transition to a green and circular economy.

·Conclusions on best available techniques (BATs) for refining mineral oil and gas. Conclusions on BAT for producing pulp, paper and board.

·The (recast) Directive on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources was adopted, setting an EU-target of at least 32% by 2030.

·A Directive amending Directive 2012/27/EU on energy efficiency was adopted, setting a target for the European Union of at least 32.5% by 2030.

·The Regulation on the Governance of the Energy Union and Climate Action was adopted, putting in place a comprehensive and streamlined framework for planning, reporting and monitoring across all five dimensions of the energy union.

·The Commission presented in November 2018 its strategic long-term vision for a prosperous, modern, competitive and climate-neutral economy by 2050. The supporting in-depth analysis studies a variety of cost-efficient pathways towards reaching greenhouse gas emissions that are in line with the goal adopted in the Paris Agreement of keeping the global average temperature rise well below 2 °C compared to pre-industrial level, and towards pursuing efforts to limit it to 1,5 °C.

·Under EU legislation adopted in May 2018, EU Member States have to ensure that greenhouse gas emissions from LULUCF are offset by at least an equivalent removal of CO2 from the atmosphere in 2021 to 2030.

·The Effort Sharing Regulation was adopted in May 2018 and entered into force at the end of 2018.

·Agreement on a Directive on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources (recast).

·Agreement on the Regulation on binding annual greenhouse gas emission reductions by Member States from 2021 to 2030 for a resilient Energy Union and to meet commitments under the Paris Agreement and amending Regulation 525/2013 on a mechanism for monitoring and reporting greenhouse gas emissions and other information relevant to climate change .

·Proposal for a Decision of the European Parliament and of the Council - Integration of the LULUCF sector into 2030 climate framework (CWP 2016) (2015/CLIMA/003).

July 2015: the Commission presented a proposal to reform the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) to make it fit for purpose and to drive investments in the industrial and power sectors after 2020. This is the first legislative proposal to start the implementation of the EU's international commitment under the Paris Agreement on climate change.

·February 2015: the Commission adopted ‘A Framework Strategy for a Resilient Energy Union with a Forward-Looking Climate Change Policy’. By supporting the EU’s leadership in clean technologies it contributed to the modernisation and competitiveness of the EU economy.

·2nd EU biennial report on progress towards GHG emission targets and implementation of climate policies and measures (UNFCCC requirement) (adopted by the Commission on 18 October 2015).

·Universal, ambitious comprehensive legally-binding framework agreement adopted in Paris by all 197 UNFCCC Parties that will apply no later than 2020.

·The EU Heads of State and Government agreed the 2030 policy framework for climate and energy. The framework sets out the EU commitment to a binding target of at least a 40 % domestic reduction in economy-wide greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 compared to 1990.

·Communication activities around the Clean Air Forum and Environmental Implementation Review, 25th anniversary of the Habitats Directive and of the LIFE programme.

·Natura 2000 Award launch, a pan-European Award recognising excellence in the management of Natura 2000 sites and conservation achievements, showcasing the added value of the network for local economies, and increasing public awareness about Europe's valuable natural heritage

·The ‘Generation Awake!’ awareness-raising campaign on resource efficiency, 2014 focus on waste management; winner of a Gold Dolphin at the Cannes Corporate Media & TV Awards in the category ‘Environmental issues and concerns’.

·Nitrates report 2012-2015: 4.5.2018, Report from the Commission on the implementation of Council Directive 91/676/EEC concerning the protection of waters against pollution caused by nitrates from agricultural sources based on Member State reports for 2012-2015 .

·Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2017/302 (i.e. conclusions on the best available technique (BAT) for the intensive rearing of poultry or pigs), which concerns farm processes and activities like nutritional management, animal rearing, and management of manure.

·Directive (EU) 2016/2284 on the reduction of national emissions of certain atmospheric pollutants, amending Directive 2003/35/EC and repealing Directive 2001/81/EC. This Directive include national reduction targets for ammonia, and listed options for reducing ammonia taking into account the whole nitrogen cycle.

·The Commission made a proposal for a Regulation laying down rules on the making available on the market of CE marked fertilising products and amending Regulations (EC) No 1069/2009 and (EC) No 1107/2009

·Publication of the study on ‘implementing sustainable forest management according to the EU biodiversity strategy and the EU bioeconomy strategy.

·The Commission submitted a proposal to prepare for the integration of the LULUCF sectors into the non-ETS mitigation framework.

·Evaluation of Regulation (EU) No 995/2010 laying down the obligations of operators who place timber and timber products on the market (the EU Timber Regulation)

·The report of the Mapping and Assessing of Ecosystems and their Services (MAES) soil pilot was published in 2018. As part of the soil biodiversity strategy to 2020, this report studied the ecosystem services so these could be better taken into account in further policy developments.

·The EU adopted a new Regulation on Mercury, which provided for an exchange of information with Member States on the identification, inventory and assessment of sites contaminated with mercury or mercury-compounds.

·The Commission made a proposal for the integration of the land use, land use change and forestry (LULUCF) sectors into the non-ETS mitigation framework.

·The Commission made a proposal for a revision of the Fertilisers Regulation, setting limits for the presence of heavy metals and contaminants, notably cadmium, in fertilising products affecting agricultural soils.

·The Commission adopted a waste package as part of the circular economy strategy, establishing binding targets for reuse and recycling of municipal waste, and reducing landfilling which will have a favourable effect on soil quality.

·The Commission withdrew its proposal for a soil framework directive, stating that ‘The Commission remains committed to the objective of the protection of soil and will examine options on how to best achieve this. Any further initiative in this respect will however have to be considered by the next college’.

·Directive on the reduction of the impact of certain plastic products on the environment, aiming to reducing marine litter with measures on single use plastics and fishing gear.

·Adoption of a proposal revising the port reception facilities Directive to tackle sea-based marine litter, with measures to ensure that waste generated on ships or gathered at sea is returned to land and appropriately managed there.

·Report on the assessment of programmes of measures under Article 16 of the MSFD.

·Commission Decision 2017/848/EU requires, among other things, the setting of threshold values that help determine good environmental status for pressures on the marine environment, including marine litter and other forms of pollution.

·Commission Directive replacing Annex III (indicative lists of characteristics, pressures and impacts for the assessment of the environmental status) to the MSFD.

·Technical report on Overview of the potential interactions and impacts of commercial fishing methods on marine habitats and species protected under the EU Habitats Directive.

·The Commission's report on the first phase of implementation of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD), together with the EEA's ‘Marine messages’, offered the first overview of the state of EU seas.

·Commission Decision (EU) 2018/229 of 12 February 2018 establishing, pursuant to Directive 2000/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council, the values of the Member State monitoring system classifications as a result of the intercalibration exercise and repealing Commission Decision 2013/480/EU

·Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on minimum requirements for water reuse.

·Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on the quality of water intended for human consumption (recast).

·Commission staff working document ‘Agriculture and Sustainable Water management in the EU’ setting out the challenges and opportunities for attaining improved implementation, better governance, targeted investments and a stronger knowledge base to achieve EU water sustainability goals.

·The fourth Implementation Report of the Water Framework Directive (WFD): ‘The Water Framework Directive and the Floods Directive: Actions towards the ‘good status’ of EU water and to reduce flood risks’.

·The launch at the COP14 CBD of a post-2020 global biodiversity process and high level ministerial discussions on mainstreaming biodiversity concerns in the sectors of mining, energy, manufacturing, and health.

·Green infrastructure: Adoption of a Commission report on the review of progress in implementing the green infrastructure strategy and adoption of a Commission Guidance document on a strategic framework for further supporting the deployment of EU-level green and blue infrastructure.

·The Commission published the fifth MAES (Mapping and Assessment of Ecosystems and their Services) technical report which provides an integrated analytical framework and a set of indicators for mapping and assessing the condition of ecosystems in the EU.

·Commission proposals for the next MFF that integrate biodiversity and ecosystem services into a number of instruments, including a proposal for new strategic nature projects under the LIFE programme.

·COP12 of the Convention on Migratory Species (Manila, October 2017) adopted 34 proposals to amend the Convention’s appendices, four of which were voted upon, for the first time in the Convention’s history.

·The 13th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity — CBD COP13 — adopted decisions on anchoring biodiversity in the agriculture, forestry, fisheries and aquaculture sectors.

·The Commission adopted Implementing Regulation (EU) 2016/145, establishing the format of the document serving as evidence for the permit issued by the competent authorities of Member States allowing establishments to carry out certain activities concerning invasive alien species of Union concern.

·The 12th Conference of the Parties (COP12) of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, including agreement on dedicated targets for mobilising resources in support of biodiversity by 2020.

·The Commission issued the following guidance documents: ‘The requirements for hydropower in relation to EU nature Legislation’, ‘Energy transmission infrastructure and EU nature legislation’ and ‘Establishment of conservation measures under the Common Fisheries Policy for Natura 2000 sites and for Marine Strategy Framework Directive purposes’.

·The Commission adopted the ‘Action Plan for nature, people and the economy’ to improve implementation and boost their contribution towards the EU's biodiversity targets.

·The Commission adopted a guidance document on streamlining environmental assessments conducted under the Environmental Impact Assessment Directive with assessments conducted under Art. 6(3) of the Habitats Directive and other environmental legislation.

·A review was published on the provisions of Article 6.1 and their practical implementation in different Member States.

The information provided in this annex includes the main outputs achieved and/or planned from 2014 until February 2019. The list does not pretend to be exhaustive or complete.

VIII.ensuring that economic and social progress is achieved within the carrying capacity of the Earth, by increasing understanding of planetary boundaries, inter alia, in the development of the post-2015 framework in order to secure human well-being and prosperity in the long-term.

VII.promoting the further development and implementation of emissions trading schemes around the world and facilitating the linking of such systems;

VI.assessing the environmental impact, in a global context, of Union consumption of food and non-food commodities and, if appropriate, developing policy proposals to address the findings of such assessments, and considering the development of a Union action plan on deforestation and forest degradation;

V.engaging in existing and new multilateral environmental and other relevant processes, in a more consistent, proactive and effective way, including through the timely outreach to third countries and other stakeholders, with a view to ensuring that commitments for 2020 are met at Union level and promoted globally, and to agree on international action to be taken beyond 2020, and ratifying and boosting efforts to implement all key multilateral environmental agreements well before 2020. Implementing the 10-year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production;

c.developing countries to support their efforts to protect the environment, fight climate change and reduce natural disasters, and implement international environmental commitments as a contribution to poverty reduction and sustainable development;

b.countries covered by the European Neighbourhood Policy on gradual approximation with key Union environment and climate policy and legislation and on strengthening cooperation to address regional environmental and climate-related challenges;

a.strategic partners on the promotion of best practice in domestic environment policy and legislation and convergence in multilateral environmental negotiations;

IV.engaging with partner countries in a more strategic way, for example by focusing cooperation with:

III.strengthening the impact of various sources of funding, including taxation and domestic resource mobilisation, private investment, new partnerships and innovative financing sources, and creating options for using development aid to leverage those other sources of financing as part of a sustainable development financing strategy, as well as in the Union’s own policies, including international commitments on climate and biodiversity finance;

c.contributing to ensuring a strong and authoritative voice for the environment in the work of the High-Level Political Forum;

b.supporting efforts to enhance synergies between multilateral environmental agreements, in particular in the chemicals and waste cluster and the biodiversity cluster; and

a.further strengthening the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in line with the outcome of Rio + 20, building on the decision by the UN General Assembly to change the designation of the Governing Council of the UNEP to the UN Environment Assembly of the UNEP (93), while continuing to strive for an upgrade of the UNEP’s status to that of a specialised Agency;

II.working towards a more effective UN structure for sustainable development, in particular its environmental dimension by:

e.are consistent with, and supportive of, other international commitments, such as those concerning climate change and biodiversity;

d.are assessed and accompanied by targets and indicators, while taking into account different national circumstances, capacities and levels of development, and

b.address, at national and international level, priority areas such as energy, water, food security, oceans and sustainable consumption and production, decent work, good governance and the rule of law;

I.working as part of a coherent and comprehensive post-2015 approach to the universal challenges of poverty eradication and sustainable development, and through an inclusive, collaborative process, towards the adoption of sustainable development goals that:

c)the impact of consumption in the Union on the environment beyond the Union’s borders is reduced.

b)the Union is providing effective support to national, regional and international efforts to address environmental and climate-related challenges and to ensure sustainable development;

a)the outcomes of Rio + 20 are fully integrated into the Union’s internal and external policies and the Union is contributing effectively to global efforts to implement agreed commitments, including those under the Rio conventions and to initiatives aimed at promoting the global transition towards an inclusive and green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication;

IV.in the context of ongoing Union initiatives and networks, developing and promoting a common understanding of how to contribute to improved urban environments by focusing on the integration of urban planning with objectives related to resource efficiency, an innovative safe and sustainable low-carbon economy, sustainable urban land-use, sustainable urban mobility, urban biodiversity management and conservation, ecosystem resilience, water management, human health, public participation in decision-making and environmental education and awareness.

III.sharing best practice between cities at Union and international level in relation to innovative and sustainable urban development;

II.ensuring that cities have information about, and better access to, financing for measures to improve urban sustainability;

I.agreeing on a set of criteria to assess the environmental performance of cities, taking into account economic, social and territorial impacts;

a)a majority of cities in the Union are implementing policies for sustainable urban planning and design, including innovative approaches for urban public transport and mobility, sustainable buildings, energy efficiency and urban biodiversity conservation.

V.addressing potential trade-offs in all policies in order to maximise synergies and avoid, reduce and, if possible, remedy unintended negative effects on the environment.

IV.using ex-post evaluation information relating to experience with implementation of the environment acquis in order to improve its consistency and coherence

II.carrying out ex-ante assessments of the environmental, social and economic impacts of policy initiatives at appropriate Union and Member State level to ensure their coherence and effectiveness;

I.integrating environmental and climate-related conditionalities and incentives in policy initiatives, including reviews and reforms of existing policy, as well as new initiatives, at Union and Member State level;

a)sectoral policies at Union and Member State level are developed and implemented in a way that supports relevant environment and climate-related targets and objectives.

IX.putting in place incentives and methodologies that stimulate companies to measure the environmental costs of their business and profits derived from using environmental services and to disclose environmental information as part of their annual reporting. Encouraging companies to exercise due diligence, including throughout their supply chain.

VII.developing and applying alternative indicators that complement and go beyond GDP to monitor the sustainability of progress and continuing work to integrate economic indicators with environmental and social indicators, including by means of natural capital accounting;

VI.integrating environmental and climate-related considerations into the European Semester process, where this is relevant for individual Member States’ prospects for sustainable growth and is appropriate for country-specific recommendations;

V.developing and applying a system for reporting and tracking environment-related expenditure in the Union budget, in particular expenditure on climate change and biodiversity, by 2014;

IV.making dedicated efforts to ensure the full and efficient use of available Union funding for environmental action, including by significantly improving its early uptake under the Union’s Multiannual Financial Framework 2014-2020 and devoting 20% of the budget to climate change mitigation and adaptation through the mainstreaming of climate action and linking that funding to clear benchmarks, target setting, monitoring and reporting;

II.facilitating the development of, and access to, innovative financial instruments and funding for eco-innovation;

I.phasing out environmentally harmful subsidies at Union and Member State level without delay, and reporting on progress through the National Reform Programmes; increasing the use of market-based instruments, such as Member States’ taxation policies, pricing and charging, and expanding markets for environmental goods and services, with due regard to any adverse social impacts, using an action-based approach, supported and monitored by the Commission, inter alia, via the European Semester;

c)the value of natural capital and ecosystem services, as well as the costs of their degradation are properly assessed and considered in policy-making and investments.

a)environment and climate policy objectives are achieved in a cost-effective way and are supported by adequate finance;

IV.developing a comprehensive chemical exposure and toxicity knowledge base which draws on data generated without animal testing where possible. Continuing the Union’s coordinated approach to human and environmental biomonitoring including, where appropriate, standardisation of research protocols and assessment criteria;

III.simplifying, streamlining and modernising environmental and climate change data and information collection, management, sharing and re-use, including the development and implementation of a Shared Environmental Information System;

II.adopting a systematic and integrated approach to risk management, particularly in relation to the evaluation and management of new and emerging policy areas and related risks as well as the adequacy and coherence of regulatory responses. This could help to stimulate further research on the hazards of new products, processes and technologies;

I.coordinating, sharing and promoting research efforts at Union and Member State level with regard to addressing key environmental knowledge gaps, including the risks of crossing environmental tipping-points and planetary boundaries;

d)the impact of the Union and its Member States in international science-policy fora is enhanced in order to improve the knowledge base for international environment policy.

c)the environment science-policy interface is strengthened, including the accessibility of data for citizens and the contribution of citizens’ science;

b)the understanding of, and the ability to evaluate and manage, emerging environmental and climate risks are greatly improved;

a)policy-makers and stakeholders have a more informed basis for developing and implementing environment and climate policies, including understanding the environmental impacts of human activities and measuring the costs and benefits of action and the costs of inaction;

V.ensuring that national provisions on access to justice reflect the case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union. Promoting non-judicial dispute resolution as a means of finding amicable and effective solutions for disputes in the environmental field.

IV.ensuring consistent and effective mechanisms at national level for the handling of complaints about implementation of Union environment law;

III.extending binding criteria for effective Member State inspections and surveillance to the wider body of Union environment law, and further developing inspection support capacity at Union level, drawing on existing structures, backed up by support for networks of professionals such as IMPEL, and by the reinforcement of peer reviews and best practice sharing, with a view to increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of inspections;

II.drawing up partnership implementation agreements on a voluntary basis between Member States and the Commission, involving local and regional participation where appropriate;

I.ensuring that systems at national level actively disseminate information about how Union environment legislation is being implemented, and complementing such information with a Union level overview of individual Member States’ performance;

c)Union environment law is enforced at all administrative levels and a level-playing field in the internal market is guaranteed;

a)the public has access to clear information showing how Union environment law is being implemented consistent with the Aarhus Convention;

VI.agreeing and implementing an EU Strategy on adaptation to climate change, including the integration of climate change adaptation and disaster risk management considerations into key Union policy initiatives and sectors.

V.monitoring the implementation of Union legislation on the sustainable use of pesticides products and reviewing it, as necessary, to keep it up to date with the latest scientific knowledge;

IV.continuing to implement REACH in order to ensure a high level of protection for human health and the environment as well as the free circulation of chemicals within the internal market while enhancing competitiveness and innovation, while being mindful of the specific needs of SMEs. Developing by 2018 a Union strategy for a non-toxic environment that is conducive to innovation and the development of sustainable substitutes including non-chemical solutions, building on horizontal measures to be undertaken by 2015 to ensure: (1) the safety of manufactured nanomaterials and materials with similar properties; (2) the minimisation of exposure to endocrine disruptors; (3) appropriate regulatory approaches to address combination effects of chemicals and (4) the minimisation of exposure to chemicals in products, including, inter alia, imported products, with a view to promoting non-toxic material cycles and reducing indoor exposure to harmful substances;

III.increasing efforts to implement the Water Framework Directive, the Bathing Water Directive (65) and the Drinking Water Directive (66), in particular for small drinking water supplies;

II.implementing an updated Union noise policy aligned with the latest scientific knowledge, and measures to reduce noise at source, and including improvements in city design;

I.implementing an updated Union air quality policy, aligned with the latest scientific knowledge, and developing and implementing measures to combat air pollution at source taking into account the differences between the sources of indoor and outdoor air pollution;

f)safety concerns related to nanomaterials and materials with similar properties are effectively addressed as part of a coherent approach in legislation;

e)the use of plant protection products does not have any harmful effects on human health or unacceptable influence on the environment, and such products are used sustainably;

d)the combination effects of chemicals and safety concerns related to endocrine disruptors are effectively addressed in all relevant Union legislation, and risks for the environment and health, in particular in relation to children, associated with the use of hazardous substances, including chemicals in products, are assessed and minimised. Long-term actions with a view to reaching the objective of a non-toxic environment will be identified;

a)outdoor air quality in the Union has significantly improved, moving closer to WHO recommended levels, while indoor air quality has improved, informed by the relevant WHO guidelines;

IX.improving water efficiency by setting and monitoring targets at river basin level on the basis of a common methodology for water efficiency targets to be developed under the Common Implementation Strategy process, and using market mechanisms, such as water pricing, as provided for in Article 9 of the Water Framework Directive and, where appropriate, other market measures. Developing approaches to manage the use of treated wastewater

VIII.fully implementing Union waste legislation. Such implementation will include applying the waste hierarchy in accordance with the Waste Framework Directive and the effective use of market-based instruments and other measures to ensure that: (1) landfilling is limited to residual (i.e. non-recyclable and non-recoverable) waste, having regard to the postponements provided for in Article 5(2) of the Landfill Directive; (2) energy recovery is limited to non-recyclable materials, having regard to Article 4(2) of the Waste Framework Directive; (3) recycled waste is used as a major, reliable source of raw material for the Union, through the development of non-toxic material cycles; (4) hazardous waste is safely managed and its generation is reduced; (5) illegal waste shipments are eradicated, with the support of stringent monitoring; and (6) food waste is reduced. Reviews of existing product and waste legislation are carried out, including a review of the main targets of the relevant waste directives, informed by the Roadmap to a Resource Efficient Europe, so as to move towards a circular economy; and internal market barriers for environmentally-sound recycling activities in the Union are removed. Public information campaigns are required to build awareness and understanding of waste policy and to stimulate a change in behaviour;

VII.increasing efforts to reach existing targets and reviewing approaches to green public procurement, including its scope, in order to increase its effectiveness. Establishing a voluntary green purchaser network for Union businesses;

V.establishing a more coherent policy framework for sustainable production and consumption including, where appropriate, the consolidation of existing instruments into a coherent legal framework. Reviewing product legislation with a view to improving the environmental performance and resource efficiency of products throughout their lifecycle. Stimulating consumer demand for environmentally sustainable products and services through policies which promote their availability, affordability, functionality and attractiveness. Developing indicators and realistic and achievable targets for the reduction of the overall impact of consumption;

IV.developing measurement and benchmarking methodologies by 2015 for resource efficiency of land, carbon, water and material use and assessing the appropriateness of the inclusion of a lead indicator and target in the European Semester;

III.giving impetus to the public and private research and innovation efforts required for the development and uptake of innovative technologies, systems and business models which will speed up and lower the cost of transition to a low-carbon, resource-efficient, safe and sustainable economy. Further developing the approach set out in the Eco-innovation Action Plan, identifying priorities for incremental innovation as well as system changes, promoting a larger market share of green technologies in the Union and enhancing the competitiveness of the European eco-industry. Establishing indicators and setting realistic and achievable targets for resource efficiency;

II.generalising the application of ‘Best Available Techniques’ in the context of the Industrial Emissions Directive and enhancing efforts to promote the uptake of emerging innovative technologies, processes and services;

I.fully implementing the Climate and Energy Package and urgently agreeing on the Union’s 2030 climate and energy policy framework, with due regard for the most recent IPCC assessment report, taking into account the indicative milestones set out in the Low-Carbon Roadmap, as well as developments within the UNFCCC and other relevant processes;

d)waste is safely managed as a resource and to prevent harm to health and the environment, absolute waste generation and waste generated per capita are in decline, landfilling is limited to residual (i.e. non-recyclable and non-recoverable) waste, having regard to the postponements provided for in Article 5(2) of the Landfill Directive and energy recovery is limited to non-recyclable materials, having regard to Article 4(2) of the Waste Framework Directive;

c)structural changes in production, technology and innovation, as well as consumption patterns and lifestyles have reduced the overall environmental impact of production and consumption, in particular in the food, housing and mobility sectors;

b)the overall environmental impact of all major sectors of the Union economy is significantly reduced, resource efficiency has increased, and benchmarking and measurement methodologies are in place. Market and policy incentives that foster business investments in resource efficiency are in place, while green growth is stimulated through measures to foster innovation;

a)the Union has met its 2020 climate and energy targets and is working towards reducing by 2050 GHG emissions by 80-95% compared to 1990 levels, as part of a global effort to limit the average temperature increase below 2 °C compared to pre-industrial levels, with the agreement of a climate and energy framework for 2030 as a key step in this process;

VIII.developing and implementing a renewed Union Forest Strategy that addresses the multiple demands on, and benefits of, forests and contributes to a more strategic approach to protecting and enhancing forests, including through sustainable forest management;

VII.taking further steps to reduce emissions of nitrogen and phosphorus, including those from urban and industrial wastewater and from fertiliser use, inter alia through better source control, and the recovery of waste phosphorus;

VI.increasing efforts to reduce soil erosion and increase soil organic matter, to remediate contaminated sites and to enhance the integration of land use aspects into coordinated decision-making involving all relevant levels of government, supported by the adoption of targets on soil and on land as a resource, and land planning objectives;

IV.agreeing and implementing an EU Strategy on adaptation to climate change, including the mainstreaming of climate change adaptation into key Union policy initiatives and sectors;

III.urgently increasing efforts, inter alia, to ensure that healthy fish stocks are achieved in line with the Common Fisheries Policy, the Marine Strategy Framework Directive and international obligations. Combating pollution and establishing a Union-wide quantitative reduction headline target for marine litter supported by source-based measures and taking into account the marine strategies established by Member States. Completing the Natura 2000 network of marine protected areas, and ensuring that coastal zones are managed sustainably;

II.fully implementing the Blueprint to Safeguard Europe’s Water Resources, having due regard for Member States’ specific circumstances, and ensuring that water quality objectives are adequately supported by source-based policy measures;

I.stepping up the implementation of the EU Biodiversity Strategy without delay, in order to meet its targets;

g)forest management is sustainable, and forests, their biodiversity and the services they provide are protected and, as far as feasible, enhanced and the resilience of forests to climate change, fires, storms, pests and diseases is improved.

e)land is managed sustainably in the Union, soil is adequately protected and the remediation of contaminated sites is well underway;

d)air pollution and its impacts on ecosystems and biodiversity are further reduced with the long-term aim of not exceeding critical loads and levels;

c)the impact of pressures on marine waters is reduced to achieve or maintain good environmental status, as required by the Marine Strategy Framework Directive, and coastal zones are managed sustainably;

b)the impact of pressures on transitional, coastal and fresh waters (including surface and ground waters) is significantly reduced to achieve, maintain or enhance good status, as defined by the Water Framework Directive;

a)the loss of biodiversity and the degradation of ecosystem services, including pollination, are halted, ecosystems and their services are maintained and at least 15% of degraded ecosystems have been restored;

What have been the best 'features' of the 7th EAP?

The extent to which there is a clear additional value from the programme compared to what could have been expected from national or regional level actions

What is the additional value resulting from the 7th EAP compared to what could be achieved by EU environmental policy without such a framework?

The extent to which there is a (general) coherence between the programme objectives and Agenda 2030.

To what extent is the 7th EAP consistent with international commitments, including the 2030 Agenda and SDGs?

The extent to which there is a (general) coherence between the programme objectives and other EU policies and strategies.

To what extent is the 7th EAP integrated and consistent with other EU policies and strategies, including the Juncker priorities and the Europe 2020 strategy?

The extent to which there is a (general) consistency between the programme objectives.

To what extent are the nine priority objectives and their actions consistent with each other?

The extent to which new and emerging issues have been incorporated into the EAP.

Would it be easy to incorporate new and emerging issues in the EAP?

Evidence on new and emerging issues that have been accepted as relevant for EU environment policy

How flexible is the 7th EAP approach in allowing new and emerging issues to be taken into account?

Are the sub-objectives still relevant, and are they broadly addressed in equal depth?

The extent to which people in the EU value and support the programme’s objectives and actions

To what extent does the 7th EAP tackle the challenges posed to EU environmental policy in a proportionate way?

Are there better flows of information (reporting to the Commission, active dissemination and reporting onwards)?

To what extent has the 7th EAP been useful in identifying and addressing information needs and thus supporting efficient and effective policies?

Can the 7th EAP be linked to changes in costs and streamlining?

To what extent has the 7th EAP created synergies or opportunities for streamlining, and cost saving at various levels?

Do stakeholders think that this was a useful exercise for them?

To what extent has the 7th EAP been useful in involving different stakeholders?

Is there evidence that the enabling framework is contributing to meeting the other priority objectives?

Evidence that the programme’s objectives are being met or that progress is made toward meeting them.

To what extent has the 7th EAP enabled more predictable, faster and better coordinated action by the EU and the Member States?

As discussed in Section 4.2, the approach used for carrying out the evaluation involved identifying clearer sub-questions as well as finding sources of evidence to answer these questions (Commission experts, stakeholder consultation, external reports etc.). These sub-questions served as inspiration for structuring the work at the beginning.

Lastly, in terms of broad participation, the consultations undertaken as part of the programme’s preparation and evaluation appear comprehensive and adequate to allow for all relevant stakeholders to express their position, contribute to the strategy and gain a sense of ownership. However, the Commission could have looked into further institutionalising these processes and moving to a more continuous and regular dialogue.

Regarding the criterion on monitoring and evaluation, the 7th EAP has allowed for limited improvement. The programme is accompanied by monitoring and evaluation processes that assess both progress towards implementation (process monitoring) and progress towards the desired outcomes/impact (outcome/impact monitoring). The way in which the 7th EAP (and its predecessors) have been prepared also suggests that the Commission is making a considerable effort to learn from previous programmes and adapt and improve the upcoming one.

While the 7th EAP meets the criteria of including a vision, priority objectives, targets and measures, the programme could significantly improve in clarity and structure by better separating and highlighting its different sections (rationale, objectives and actions). Overview tables on, for example, targets, actions or indicators would also help illustrate the programme’s focus, proposed actions and how it intends to track progress. Moreover, consulted stakeholders suggest that the programme is too broad and vague, and that a better organisation of the different topics into overarching themes should be adopted around the most pressing environmental challenges. It should also be clearer about its targets, the actions required and the stakeholders responsible for these actions.

In terms of adequate resources, the 7th EAP appears to enjoy sufficient access to funding, personnel and knowledge as it allows for a continuous process in which findings from previous programmes are thoroughly reflected and incorporated and current objectives closely monitored and evaluated. However, according to stakeholders as well as the 7th EAP itself (see priority objective 6), there are clearly problems with funding in relation to developing and implementing suitable policies in the EU and Member States.

However, it is considered less successful in serving as a tool for implementation.

Consequently, the 7th EAP is seen by various stakeholders as mostly fit to:

Inconsistencies between policy frameworks, i.e. the failure to effectively integrate environmental objectives across sectors (of relevance to the environment), are also considered a major weakness of the 7th EAP. The reasons for this lie less in the programme’s preparation, but rather in stakeholders perceiving the 7th EAP to be lacking in political weight and influence compared to other political agendas. Therefore, the programme is garnering the necessary commitment from relevant policymakers. In particular, the dominance of economic and business interests is seen as hampering the fulfilment of environmental objectives within the Member States.

The analysis shows that the 7th EAP performs well in terms of solid foundation. The programme’s extensive prior impact assessment is well-founded and evidence-based and provides a comprehensive analysis of, among other things, the current situation, prevailing and pressing environmental challenges, the policy context, and the impact of different options and the underlying rationale of the programme’s focus and objectives. Stakeholder consultations that were carried out as part of the 7th EAP’s mid-term implementation assessment also confirm that the programme as a whole is considered relevant in relation to environmental needs. However, there are shortcomings in terms of coherence and interlinkages. The prior analysis did not look in-depth at synergies and trade-offs with other policy areas and does not identify the necessary actions to integrate environmental concerns across sectors.

The aim is not to provide an assessment of the 7th EAP’s achievements (covered in both Annex 6 or by the European Environment Agency) but to look at the 7th EAP from the perspective of what an environmental strategy can and is supposed to accomplish, and to what extent the programme meets the above-defined criteria of a sound or well-designed strategy.

No, but it is discussed in the different evaluation questions

No, but there is a discussion of this in terms of involving stakeholders and the pros and cons of the process for agreeing the 7th EAP

Monitoring, continuous learning and improvement: All strategies should be monitored and evaluated regularly in order to track progress and change strategic direction if necessary. Suitable indicators need to be identified to track progress on the strategy’s implementation and the fulfillment of its objectives and targets.

Vision, objectives and targets: formulating a vision helps spell out the strategy’s overall aim and long-term goal, upon which all objectives and targets are based. Moreover, the strategy should define priorities, divided into themes or otherwise, which provide its overall structure (e.g. areas of action, pillars) and which are complemented by more concrete objectives.

Adequate resources: It is important for the strategy and its related processes to enjoy sufficient access to knowledge, funding and personnel so it can become cyclical, and so that a continuous process can be established that allows for a long-term vision, monitoring and continuous adaptation and improvement.

Political commitment: high-level political commitment over time is essential for a strategy to be effective and for institutional changes to take place. Also, as environmental issues and, ideally, environmental strategies cut across both different sectors and different levels of government it is crucial to factor in and involve policymakers from different sectors and the downstream political levels.

Solid foundation: an in-depth analysis of the status quo, based on reliable scientific data, is an essential prerequisite for developing a credible, acceptable, relevant and ultimately effective environmental strategy.

Various principles, in turn, play into the various phases of designing, implementing, evaluating and revising a strategy. The following ‘elements’ or ‘criteria’ for developing a promising environmental strategy can be differentiated, even though they partially overlap:

In sum, integrated strategies can be considered as governing processes that serve the ultimate purpose of shaping broader political agendas and steering policy outputs, as the following figure illustrates.

3.Capacity building function: the aim of integrated strategies is to build capacities. This includes building a knowledge base for formulating and implementing policy measures, establishing and strengthening policy networks, raising awareness for certain issues, mobilising stakeholders through participation activities and establishing a monitoring and evaluation mechanism that informs policymakers.

2.Governance function: integrated strategies are designed to enable a cyclical and reflexive governing process to be established – contrary to the previous, one-off environmental action plans. As such, they can enable the integration of policymakers from other sectors (horizontal integration) and levels of governance (vertical integration) on a continuous basis, and involve responsibilities and resources being assigned as well as ensure learning and adaptation through monitoring and evaluation activities.

1.Policy function: integrated strategies constitute policy documents which analyse the status quo and provide direction and guidance to policymakers by defining a vision, priority themes and policy objectives. Potential synergies and trade-offs are identified. They may also propose concrete measures and instruments or include the same in additional action plans, sectoral strategies, etc.

Integrated strategies are increasingly common in contemporary policymaking in the environmental field. They can have three functions.

The hypothesis is that the better the 7th EAP scores/benchmarks against these criteria, the better it will perform as a strategy.

·solid foundation relates more to the process, and so is less highlighted in the intervention logic; therefore the analysis of this aspect brings something new to the evaluation.

·political commitment is clearly included as an objective in the intervention logic, so it is considered in the evaluation;

This analysis identifies some criteria that are already fully reflected in the intervention logic but also others that are not. For example:

As a means to verify the analysis guided by the intervention logic, it was decided to identify in parallel what makes a good strategy. The supporting study examined what constitutes a ‘sound’ or ‘well-designed’ strategy and which success criteria can be identified, taking advantage of examples from other policy areas and also from the European Commission’s ‘Quality of Public Administration – A Toolbox for Practitioners’. Subsequently, the supporting study examines the 7th EAP against these criteria, highlighting both strengths and shortcomings and providing ideas for improvement.

The evaluation of this strategy is unique for the European Commission in terms of its scope (especially its focus on whether the strategy has been well-formulated) and because progress on the ground is assessed by the EEA through its work on the State of the Environment report. Given this, classical modelling was neither needed nor undertaken. Instead, the 7th EAP was compared against a conceptual model for judging whether a strategy is well designed and fit for purpose given its governance context: to what extent the 7th EAP meets the criteria of a sound environmental strategy. This comparison was done by breaking the evaluation questions into clearer sub-questions.

·Value added would have been increased by a better mechanism for ensuring ownership and complete fulfilment of commitments.

·There was broad buy-in from stakeholders on the structure and content of the 7th EAP, although it was also felt that the actions were too detailed / complex.

·Stakeholders strongly supported having an EAP. They saw the 7th EAP as helping to provide more predictable, faster and better coordinated actions and so also improving the efficiency of policies. However, predictability may have been reduced after the change of a European Commission, with new political priorities.

·Objective driven: though not agreed by all, some stakeholders suggested that more quantifiable objectives would help drive the achievement of targets. This could be achieved by strengthening the action plan elements within the programme or creating a to-do-list for stakeholders to guide them on the broader objectives. This would require an official midterm evaluation and monitoring system. However, some stakeholders noted that there would be more added value in a less target-oriented document. A balance between flexibility and policy strength was highlighted.

·Structure: other stakeholders noted the structure could be made more logical and targeted to improve usability. Keeping the programme concise and continuing the focus on broad environmental goals at EU level was considered to provide the most added-value for the programme.

·Target currently unengaged stakeholders: such as businesses/industry and private individuals, which/who were felt to lack engagement with the programme. Some workshop participants suggested adjusting the structure to have certain sections for certain stakeholders, i.e. one clear narrative section, for public awareness; one concise target section, for industry and business action; and one section outlining the commitments of the Commission departments, for NGOs and institutional accountability. An improved communication strategy would further facilitate this.

·Inclusion of the SDGs: many stakeholders outlined this as a way to improve the accessibility of the document. Stakeholders did not want the SDGs to define the structure of the 7th EAP, which should remain as a more (environmentally) ambitious strategy.

Several stakeholders reported that they support the idea of an 8th EAP: although beyond the scope of an evaluation, it reflects on the value added of the 7th EAP. Several suggestions were made for how the programme could be improved, and these suggestions imply that there are some shortcomings with the 7th EAP. These points cut across the evaluation criteria, some of the key suggestions are:

Stakeholders regarded the coherence generated by the 7th EAP as added value that would be absent without such a pan-EU strategy. One stakeholder noted that environment and climate action is becoming ever more necessary at an international level. Therefore, the existence of a strategy that manages a coordinated policy response at EU level is key. Another noted that the 7th EAP provides a buffer against the complete fragmentation of environmental policy. The overarching nature of the document is necessary, as it means it overlaps with a large variety of policy areas. France emphasised its added value is as a tool to express agreed priorities for harmonised action across the EU and Member States. Czechia, Estonia, and France noted that it stimulates action in areas that require a transnational response. Stakeholders also noted that the programme’s focus on implementation added value. Workshop participants noted that the 7th EAP enables the sharing of best practices across a wide variety of stakeholders to further aid implementation. This was noted via the programmes influence on the Environmental Implementation Review (EIR) and the positive effects this has had on Member States.

The 7th EAP was seen as adding value through its use as a tool for dialogue and communication. Many non-Member State interviewees stated that it provides a clear message and understanding of environmental issues for a broad range of stakeholders (EU, national, local). Some stakeholders noted that the 7th EAP created a common language for some EU citizens which made it easier to tackle certain environmental challenges. One stakeholder noted that they use it as a tool for engaging the interest of other stakeholders in environmental topics. As mentioned under effectiveness and relevance, stakeholders perceived that the programme would add more value if it had a stronger communication strategy throughout its lifespan, and if it could engage a broader range of stakeholders (including private individuals and businesses). Many Member States highlighted how the 7th EAP generated dialogue between EU nations and raised awareness as a whole. Germany, Austria and Bulgaria felt that the development phase of the EAP was noted as an effective time for the generation of dialogue. Finland felt that the EAP presented global and environmental challenges and helped provide EU predictability on future policy developments.

All but one stakeholder agreed that the 7th EAP provides EU added value. This view was often focussed on the EAP’s status as the only EU strategy that prioritises environmental concerns. This provides a clear reminder that the Union requires environmental protection. In the open public consultation’s open answers, 17 stakeholders outlined that the 7th EAP’s added value was that it steers the EU towards more ambitious legislation. This added value of pushing ambition can be retained if future iterations remain more ambitious than international standards. Some stakeholders felt that that the 7th EAP is a more ambitious high-level strategy than the SDGs. The EAP’s role as a high-level structural guide was perceived by Germany as being positive in holding legislators to account and to push for the objectives described within the document. Survey participants agreed, with 84% believing that the long-term vision helps to steers environmental and climate policy. The 7th EAP’s added value in setting priorities was noted by Finland and the UK. Czech and France stated that long-term priorities for action were essential. Such long-term priorities were noted by one stakeholder as having facilitated more concrete actions, such as the Resource Efficiency roadmap, and the circular economy action plan. Stakeholders noted that additional milestones or roadmaps to the long-term vision would help capitalise on this added value.

·Emerging issues: Stakeholders pointed out that certain issues have become more pressing and politically relevant overtime, and this is not reflected in the 7th EAP. Chemicals and plastics were provided as examples of this. However, some believed the broad overarching nature of the programme captured these issues sufficiently well. The example of the circular economy was provided, which is only mentioned twice in the document. Nevertheless, PO2 was viewed as an influence in the