Evaluation of the European Environment Agency & the European Environment Information & Observation Network for 2022-2026

39 submissions in the snapshot (28 from organisations), portal total 39. Feedback list on the portal.

28 of 28 organisation submissions analysed; the model reads them as: supports 10 wants changes 16 2 held back for review (low confidence).

• Micro company, IRL NGO, IRL model reads as: wants changes source
  • Environmental reporting should better integrate socio-economic information and fisheries sector knowledge.

    From the perspective of the fisheries sector, there is an opportunity to strengthen the integration of socio-economic information and the practical knowledge held by commercial fishermen alongside environmental monitoring and scientific datasets.

  • Collaboration between the EEA, EIONET, fisheries stakeholders, national authorities, and research bodies should be increased.

    Greater collaboration between the EEA, EIONET, fisheries stakeholders, national authorities, and research organisations would improve both the quality of environmental assessments and stakeholder confidence in the evidence used to support policy decisions.

  • Data collection consistency should be encouraged and transparency in marine policy incorporation improved.

    Future work should also encourage more consistent data collection across Member States and improve transparency regarding how environmental information is incorporated into EU marine policy and planning processes.

• Micro company, ITA Environmental organisation, ITA model reads as: wants changes source
  • The EEA and Eionet assessment must consider practical data usefulness for territories and river basins.

    The CNSBII considers that the assessment of the European Environment Agency and Eionet should take into account not only the quantity of data produced, but above all their practical usefulness for understanding what is happening in the territories and river basins.

    machine translation by the Commission, original in IT
  • Interoperability, metadata, time series, and traceability across fragmented environmental databases should be strengthened.

    We therefore consider it necessary to strengthen interoperability, metadata, time series and traceability.

    machine translation by the Commission, original in IT
  • The evaluation should incorporate the role and data of citizen science and civic monitoring.

    The evaluation should also consider the role of citizen science and civic monitoring.

    machine translation by the Commission, original in IT
• Merman Conservation Expeditions Ltd Company, GBR; register: Professional consultancies model reads as: wants changes source
  • Clear pathways should be established to connect external observations and citizen science with European environmental information systems.

    The EEA and EIONET could develop clearer pathways for externally generated observations to contribute to European knowledge after appropriate validation, metadata requirements and quality-control procedures.

  • Environmental information should be provided via open, machine-readable formats and interoperable APIs.

    Environmental information should increasingly be available through open, machine-readable formats, interoperable APIs and clearly documented datasets.

  • The evaluation should examine the latency of moving from observation to policy-relevant knowledge.

    The evaluation should also consider the speed at which information moves from observation to policy-relevant knowledge.

• Walloon Public Service (SPW) Public authority, BEL model reads as: wants changes source
  • Coordination between different European reporting regulatory frameworks should be improved.

    Better coordination between these different regulatory frameworks would be an important lever to improve the overall efficiency of the system.

    machine translation by the Commission, original in FR
  • Interoperability between European reporting flows and INSPIRE national spatial data infrastructures must be enhanced.

    It would be particularly useful to enhance interoperability between European reporting flows and the national spatial data infrastructures developed under INSPIRE.

    machine translation by the Commission, original in FR
  • Automated data transmission through APIs and the reuse of existing regulatory data should be explored.

    The evaluation could also explore possibilities for automated data transmission through APIs and interoperable services, as well as ways to enhance the re-use of data already produced under other European regulatory obligations.

    machine translation by the Commission, original in FR
• Environment Agency Austria - National Focal Point EEA/EIONET Other, AUT; register: Other organisations, public or mixed entities model reads as: supports source
  • Reliable long-term funding and greater recognition of member country contributions are required to maintain EIONET.

    To maintain and strengthen EIONET, reliable long-term funding is essential, as well as greater recognition of member countries contributions.

  • Clearer governance is required to manage processes effectively while staying responsive to evolving priorities.

    Clearer governance are needed to manage these processes effectively.

  • A comprehensive external evaluation of the EIONET structure, including its Topic Centers, must be conducted.

    In addition, a comprehensive external evaluation of the EIONET structure incl. TCs is needed.

• WWF European Policy Office NGO, BEL; register: Non-governmental organisations, platforms and networks and similar model reads as: supports source
  • Reaffirm and protect the scientific independence and integrity of the EEA.

    Reaffirm and protect the EEA's scientific independence and integrity.

  • Strengthen the systematic integration of EEA evidence throughout the policy cycle.

    Strengthen the integration of EEA evidence throughout the policy cycle.

  • Ensure the EEA and Eionet receive adequate and sustainable funding and staffing.

    Ensure the EEA and Eionet are adequately and sustainably resourced, with funding and staffing that keep pace with its mandate across inter alia climate, nature, water, oceans, land-use, and pollution.

• Chief Sanitary Inspectorate Public authority, POL model reads as: wants changes source
  • Modify the overall methodology for presenting bathing water quality data.

    We request a modification of the overall data presentation methodology.

• Health Board Public authority, EST model reads as: wants changes source
  • Take into account broader classification aspects beyond the proportion of excellent bathing waters when communicating results.

    Other relevant aspects of the classification, including the proportion of bathing waters meeting the applicable requirements and the proportion classified as poor, should also be taken into account when communicating the overall situation.

  • Provide practical training, workshops, and guidance on data reporting and presentation.

    We would also appreciate and strongly support the provision of more practical training, workshops and guidance on data reporting and data presentation.

• UNECE Other, CHE model reads as: supports source
• Ministry Public authority, DEU model reads as: wants changes source
  • The evaluation should verify which promised improvements have actually impacted the daily work and burden of national reporters.

    The evaluation should establish which promised improvements have actually changed the daily work of national reporters.

  • National data providers should be given an active role in designing the data collection systems.

    Those producing the data should have a meaningful voice in designing the systems used to collect them.

  • The EEA should guarantee adequate expert support to national reporters during deadlines.

    Countries cannot become unavailable when a legal deadline approaches; EEA should ensure adequate expert support too.

• European Water Association (EWA) NGO, DEU; register: Non-governmental organisations, platforms and networks and similar model reads as: supports source
  • The EEA and Eionet should maintain their role and be equipped after 2026 to deliver an integrated view of the European water cycle.

    After 2026, they should be equipped to provide an integrated, timely and practically usable picture of Europes water cycle and its pressures.

  • Coherent water monitoring should be supported through practitioner ties, digital skills, and stable funding commensurate with their mandate.

    This requires coherent monitoring of water resilience, pollution prevention and source control, stronger links with practitioner networks, investment in digital and water-sector skills, and stable resources proportionate to the mandate.

• United Nations Environment Programme Other, KEN model reads as: supports source
  • Maintain continuous cooperation and data exchange between UNEP and the EEA across global and regional assessments.

    UNEP looks forward to continuous cooperation and exchanges with EEA from global assessments to specific regional reports or initiatives.

  • Ensure the EEA and EIONET continue to provide environmental data and knowledge to inform European policymaking amid accelerating climate change.

    With accelerating climate change and environmental degradation with severe impacts on health, well-being, livelihoods and all sectors of the economy, also and increasingly in Europe, EEAs and EIONETs work is even more important than ever before to continue providing data and knowledge to inform European policy and legislation to be able to address the very complex interconnected challenges and thereby improve Europes resilience, security and prosperity.

• SEO/BirdLife NGO, ESP; register: Non-governmental organisations, platforms and networks and similar model reads as: supports source
  • Assess the effective usefulness, quality, accessibility, and responsiveness of EEA and Eionet outputs during the evaluation.

    The 2022-2026 evaluation should therefore assess not only the volume of products generated, but also their effective usefulness for the design, monitoring, implementation and evaluation of European policies; its scientific and technical quality; their accessibility, timeliness, comparability and re-use; and the ability of the Agency and the network to respond to new needs for environmental information.

    machine translation by the Commission, original in ES
  • Safeguard the EEA's technical independence and provide sufficient resources while preventing reporting simplifications from degrading data quality.

    In this framework, SEO/BirdLife considers it necessary to preserve and strengthen the EEA’s technical independence and ability to produce objective evidence-based analyses. It is also necessary to ensure adequate human, technical and financial resources for the increasing scope of its functions and to avoid that possible processes of simplification of reporting obligations result in a loss of quality, detail, spatial coverage, temporal continuity or ability to detect environmental changes.

    machine translation by the Commission, original in ES
  • Advance data interoperability, open access, and capacity to connect biodiversity knowledge with sectoral policies.

    Further progress should be made on data interoperability and re-use, open access to information and transparent communication of uncertainties and knowledge gaps. In particular, we consider it important to maintain and strengthen the capacity to generate knowledge about biodiversity and ecosystems, including the pressures that explain their deterioration, and to connect this information with sectoral policies such as agriculture, energy, water, fisheries, transport or land use.

    machine translation by the Commission, original in ES
• Micro company, BEL Other, BEL model reads as: wants changes source
  • Improve dataset auditing, completeness, relevance, and access with error-reporting feedback mechanisms.

    Attention must be paid to more effective datasets auditing, completeness and relevance, while verification of outcomes should require causal relations analysis at different levels to link statistical data with local/regional realities. Access to datasets must be simple, providing feedback mechanisms to report errors or incoherences in it.

  • Integrate socio-economic data and practical sectoral knowledge from collective management bodies into assessments.

    When it comes to complex, multifaceted and multidisciplinary, sectors and realities as agriculture, water and soil governance in rural areas, rural landscape and heritage, the integration of socio-economic information and the scientific and practical knowledge held by sectoral associations and collective management bodies (i.e. agricultural water managers, producers organisation, etc) should improve both the quality of environmental assessments and stakeholders confidence in the data used to support policy decisions.

  • Ensure a balanced composition of consultant groups to mitigate the prevalence of environmental and climate experts.

    A balanced composition of consultant groups would mitigate the prevalence of environmental and climate experts, allowing to provide policymakers with better suggestions.

• Micro company, MLT NGO, MLT model reads as: wants changes source
  • Strengthen the social dimension and integrate social indicators into environmental information and monitoring.

    The MSA recommends strengthening the social dimension of environmental information and monitoring.

  • Give particular attention to small island states, peripheral regions, and coastal communities.

    Particular attention should be given to small island states, peripheral regions and coastal communities, where environmental, economic and social pressures are often closely interconnected.

  • Support the mainstreaming of Social Impact Assessment alongside environmental and economic assessments in EU policymaking.

    The MSA also recommends that EEA evidence increasingly support the mainstreaming of Social Impact Assessment (SIA) alongside environmental and economic assessment in EU policymaking.

• Micro company, FRA Company, FRA model reads as: wants changes source
  • Consider and encourage the adoption of AI-automated Life Cycle Assessment solutions.

    Consider and encourage the emergence of AI-automated LCA solutions.

  • Prepare Eionet's infrastructure to interface directly with APIs of private market eco-design and compliance software.

    Prepare Eionet's infrastructure to interface with the APIs of private market eco-design and compliance software.

• Birdlife Europe and Central Asia NGO, BEL model reads as: supports source
  • Ensure that the EEA and EIONET are provided with all necessary capacity and resources.

    Given their crucial role, it is important to ensure that the EEA and EIONET have all the needed capacity and resources to function properly.

• TERRAGORA Company, FRA; register: Professional consultancies model reads as: wants changes source
  • Mechanisms should be established to transfer structured, verifiable ground-level observations from territories into EIONET and the EEA.

    Terragora therefore recommends strengthening the mechanisms for the structured transfer of information from the territories to EIONET and the EEA, while ensuring its quality, traceability and comparability.

    machine translation by the Commission, original in FR
  • EEA data and outputs should be made more accessible and practical for local stakeholders and small entities.

    Place-based summaries, accessible visualisation tools and easy-to-use data would further transform European environmental knowledge into a real tool to support local decision-making.

    machine translation by the Commission, original in FR
  • Transparency regarding methods, sources, and uncertainties should be ensured to build trust in environmental policies.

    Finally, Terragora considers that transparency of methods, sources and uncertainties is essential for trust in environmental sustainability.

    machine translation by the Commission, original in FR
• Ministarstvo zaštite okoliša i zelene tranzicije Other, HRV model reads as: supports source
  • Administrative burden should be reduced by simplifying reporting processes and enhancing data platform interoperability.

    Further simplification of reporting processes, improved interoperability between Reportnet and other reporting platforms, and greater reuse of existing datasets could reduce administrative burden.

  • The EEA should maintain a strong role supported by additional investments in digitalization and capacity building.

    Additional investments in EEA/Eionet cooperation, digitalisation of reporting processes and support for national capacities could further strengthen effectiveness, efficiency and long-term sustainability.

• Agencia Estatal CSIC Academic or research institution, ESP; register: Think tanks and research institutions model reads as: wants changes source
  • The scientific basis of EEA activities should be strengthened via deeper collaboration with universities and research institutes.

    The Agency should strengthen collaboration with research organisations and universities, ensuring that the latest scientific knowledge is systematically incorporated into environmental assessments, indicators and policy support tools.

  • Environmental monitoring systems should be enhanced through innovative technologies such as Earth observation and data analytics.

    Greater use of innovative technologies, including Earth observation, digital tools, advanced data analytics and interoperable databases, would enhance the timeliness, accessibility and comparability of environmental information across Member States.

  • Diverse stakeholders should be more systematically integrated into environmental assessments and knowledge production.

    Researchers, public authorities, businesses, civil society organisations and regional actors should be more systematically involved in knowledge production and environmental assessment processes.

• Rethink Plastic Alliance NGO, BEL; register: Non-governmental organisations, platforms and networks and similar model reads as: wants changes source
  • The EEA should independently evaluate whether European Green Deal legislation is delivering environmental outcomes during implementation.

    The EEA should play a strong role in independently assessing whether major environmental legislation adopted as part of the European Green Deal is delivering its intended environmental outcomes as it moves through implementation, including the impact of subsequent omnibus and simplification packages on those outcomes.

  • The evaluation should check whether EEA analytical capacity matches its growing set of responsibilities.

    The evaluation should therefore assess whether sufficient capacity exists to undertake these new functions and independently assess the environmental outcomes of EU legislation as it moves through implementation.

  • The evaluation should recognize the EEA's role in zero pollution monitoring and the contribution of citizen science.

    Finally, the evaluation should recognise the EEAs key role in monitoring progress towards the Zero Pollution Action Plan targets and in providing robust evidence to inform policy development and implementation.

• Federal Office for the Environment Public authority, CHE model reads as: wants changes source
  • A framework should be established to facilitate and strengthen the participation of non-EU countries in Eionet.

    Strengthen non-EU participation: create a framework for Eionet activities that does not solely revolve around EU legislation, facilitate core dataflow collection for countries not bound by the Environmental Acquis, continue to clearly distinguish data collection and scientific assessment (open to all members) from regulatory alignment (specific to EU and European Economic Area states), and further strengthen mechanisms for non-EU partner engagement;

  • Investments in digital infrastructure should be made to enhance real-time exchange, open data access, and reporting harmonization.

    Invest in Eionet's digital infrastructure to improve real-time data exchange, open-data accessibility and standardised formats, in line with Switzerland's Open Government Data policy (in force since 2015), while reducing duplication between EEA, OECD, UNFCCC and UNECE reporting obligations and strengthening the complementary "Environment for Europe" (UNECE) process;

  • Transparency should be ensured in how the EEA budget is allocated across its core functions.

    Ensure transparency in EEA budget allocation across its core functions, so that Switzerland's financial contribution under Article 2 of the bilateral Environmental Agreement remains commensurate with its full membership rights and participation capacities.

• private dialysis center Environmental organisation, TUR model reads as: wants changes source
  • The scientific boards of UNEP and EEA should evaluate the project for recovering separated water from reverse osmosis systems.

    If you review my scientific project on the recovery of separated water in Türkiye and evaluate it within the scientific boards of both the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the European Environment Agency (EEA), we can restore at least half a billion tons of freshwater annually for human use in the name of environmental sustainability.

  • The EEA should pioneer and enable the immediate implementation of separated water recovery.

    I sincerely hope that you will pioneer this endeavor, which holds the potential to rank among major environmental initiatives for humanity, and enable its implementation without delay.

• Environment and Resources Authority Public authority, MLT model reads as: wants changes source
  • Improve the interoperability and integration of data systems and streamline reporting requirements to minimise duplication.

    In this regard, there is scope to further improve the interoperability and integration of national and EU-level environmental data systems, as well as to streamline reporting requirements and minimise duplication.

  • Expand automated and reusable data flows supported by common standards to reduce administrative burden.

    Greater use of automated and interoperable data flows could help reduce the administrative burden associated with environmental reporting, while at the same time improving the timeliness, consistency and accessibility of environmental information.

  • Simplify the explanations of QA check blockers, errors, and warnings for air quality reporting.

    Simplifying these explanations where possible would facilitate the reporting process for the users.

• RIVM - National Institute for Public Health and the Environment Public authority, NLD model reads as: supports source
  • Communication channels should be improved beyond Microsoft Teams to broaden participant engagement.

    One improvement would be the way of communication, since many participants are not familiar with Microsoft Teams.

• Governo Regional dos Açores (VP - DRAECE) Public authority, PRT model reads as: supports source
  • Data, indicators, and analyses produced by the EEA and Eionet must adequately reflect the specific environmental realities of regional territories.

    O documento sublinha a importância de assegurar que os dados, indicadores e análises desenvolvidos reflitam adequadamente as especificidades e os desafios ambientais destes territórios, nomeadamente no domínio da biodiversidade, dos ecossistemas marinhos e da adaptação às alterações climáticas.