The report Europe’s Environment 2025 paints a bleak picture. Although greenhouse gas emissions have fallen by 37 percent since 1990 and the share of renewable energy has doubled since 2005, the overall state of the environment is “not good.” Biodiversity continues to decline, and more than eighty percent of protected habitats are in poor condition. Additionally, sixty to seventy percent of European soils have been degraded.
According to the EEA, the pressure is mainly caused by unsustainable production and consumption patterns, particularly in agriculture and the food system. Only 37 percent of surface waters in Europe remain in good ecological condition. A shortage of clean water now affects one third of the population and European territory.
Moreover, Europe is warming twice as fast as the global average. The consequences are increasingly visible in extreme weather events, floods, droughts, and wildfires.
Between 1980 and 2023, economic losses in the EU exceeded 700 billion euros, while the period 2021–2023 alone accounted for more than 160 billion euros in damages. In 2022, an estimated 70,000 people died from heatwaves.
The agency warns that climate change and environmental degradation pose a direct threat to Europe's competitiveness. The economy is heavily dependent on natural resources, yet their quality is declining. To maintain the resilience of vital sectors such as food supply and drinking water provision, better land and water management is necessary.
The report emphasizes that Green Deal measures (from the previous EU Commission) are crucial to prevent further decline. However, in the European Parliament, several conservative and right-wing groups have recently advocated rolling back these rules, especially in the agriculture and energy sectors. According to the Environment Agency, weakening environmental laws would actually increase economic and social risks.
Despite the negative trends, the EEA also sees some bright spots. Air quality has improved, energy efficiency has increased, and the circular economy is expanding. Renewable energy sources accounted for more than a quarter of total energy consumption in the European Union in 2023. This raises the chances that the EU can become climate neutral by 2050, provided current policies are maintained.
According to the agency, the EU must adhere to its sustainability goals and avoid cuts to environmental policies. Otherwise, the continent risks experiencing irreversible ecological and economic decline. “What we do today will shape our future,” said EEA Director Leena Ylä-Mononen at the report’s presentation.