There is no simple solution to the problem

There are no simple answers to the question: 'how healthy is Europe's environment?' The results of the assessment presented in the various parts of this report are necessarily detailed and specific. On several aspects, current knowledge of environmental processes and observations of facts lead with confidence to certain conclusions. On others, where data are insufficient or uncertainties are significant, best estimates can be derived on the basis of best available information. These need to be read in the context of current understanding, the sources of uncertainty, and the information and research needs for improving the assessment.

The main highlights and findings of the report are summarised below (Chapter 40). This also includes a summary of the most significant policy responses and/or options being taken or proposed. The 'findings' focus on the main facts and key trends which require attention, and the 'responses' are concerned either with management and policy actions or with monitoring and implementation. These results are presented according to the main themes of the assessment: by environmental media, pressures and the main human activities.

A full analysis of responses and the state of actions to protect the environment, their effectiveness and implementation was beyond the scope of the present exercise. This could be usefully pursued in parallel with future exercises reporting on the state of the environment.

Part V of the report (Chapters 27 to 38) highlighted the following 12 prominent European environmental problems derived out of a larger unconsolidated list of 56 found in Appendix 1:

• climate change
• stratospheric ozone depletion
• the loss of biodiversity
• major accidents
• acidification
• tropospheric ozone and other photochemical oxidants
• the management of freshwater
• forest degradation
• coastal zone threats and management
• waste reduction and management
• urban stress
• chemical risks

The 12 chapters covering these problems act as conclusions in their own right, where media pressures and reponses are integrated in assessments of particular problems of European concern. Thus, these are not treated again here.

The decision of which problems to highlight is a choice and depends upon the criteria used and how they are applied. Nevertheless, the current list appears robust and insensitive to major alterations when comparisons are made with important environmental problems identified in national reports and at international level by, for example, UNEP, OECD, the EC Fifth Environment Action Programme, and by the US Environmental Protection Agency. Additional issues may need to be highlighted ­ in particular, for example, soil erosion and desertification, which are of specific regional importance ­ but none would be deleted. This level of consensus on prominent European environmental problems is important to underline, since uncertainties in this field often cloud the real issues. Problems not directly highlighted in this list of 12 issues will normally be discussed within other relevant parts of the report.

The results in particular of the analyses of specific environmental problems demonstrate the importance of a multi-media, cross-sectorial integrated approach to environmental assessment. Integrated assessments can be made of different media, pressures, human activities and issues. They can benefit the understanding of the causes and effects of environmental problems and better clarify how to act and the consequences of such actions. Thus, to ensure coherent, continent-wide responses to environmental problems and threats, it is particularly important to perform integrated assessments at the European level. However, problems with data availability and incompatibility (see below) also make them particularly difficult to carry out. Future reports should aim to expand such integrated assessments to operationalise better the baseline information on the state of the environment.

Throughout this report much mention has been made of problems with data and information. Although in recent years environmental data have increased in availability as environmental monitoring and research have developed, there are still significant data gaps as well as large discrepancies in quality. Furthermore, much information that is available is often inadequate to provide the basis for a rigorous assessment and accurate reporting on the state of Europe's environment. One major constraint at the European level is the lack of comparable, compatible and verifiable data across European countries due to existing differences in the methods of collection, the terminologies used and the degree of transparency. Improving the state of environmental information is a high priority in order to ensure that actions and decisions being taken by policy makers, the public and all sectors of society respond to the actual needs. The European Environment Agency has been established for this very putpose, and with its European environment information and observation network is now working to ensure the supply of objective, reliable and comparable information on the environment for the years to come. From the findings of this report a summary of the current state of environmental information, its strengths and weaknesses, is made below in Appendix 2. This includes an appraisal both of current data availability and existing gaps in the major areas of environmental concern.

The latest data presented in this report range from the late1980s to 1993. As the report was being finalised more recent data became available which it was impossible to fully integrate into the assessment. This is a continuous process which can only be addressed by regular reporting and updating. Timely accurate reporting depends upon a better overall connection between data producer (monitoring), assessor (reporting) and consumer. A better understanding of the needs and uses of environmental information is essential to improve efficiency. Preparing this report was the first time that Europe's Environment had been assessed as a whole and in such a comprehensive manner. The difficulties encountered, described above, can largely be ascribed to this fact, which in turn contributed to the amount of time it has taken to prepare and complete this report.

Now that this exercise has been performed once over in a comprehensive way for the whole of Europe, future reporting at this level should be able to build on this, make comparisons and identify trends, overall facilitating a faster turn-around and a more regular reporting cycle.

The report has attempted to provide a comprehensive analysisof the state of Europe's environment so as to constitute a strong basis for improving decision-making and raising environmental awareness across the board. Despite the comprehensive approach taken, the coverage shows some weaknesses, for example with regard to the assessment of rural environments, the service sector and the impacts of land disturbance. The state of non-renewable resources is not addressed and neither is the impact of military activities. Future reports might usefully consider these aspects in more detail.

During the preparation process for this report, the opportunities for improved cooperation and coordination were explored. This process has involved, in particular, establishing contacts with a wide range of European data sources. Indeed, a network of contacts in more than 40 countries and international organisations was established to channel data and information and make assessments to form this report. This network included official national focal points and specialist institutes at national and international levels, both governmental and non-governmental, involving more than 250 individuals (see Contributions and Acknowledgements list at the front of the report). Preparing this report has shown the importance of a strong network for efficient environmental reporting. Maintaining and improving cooperation at all these levels is therefore of the utmost importance.

In addition to the report itself, this European cooperation facilitated the preparation of the Statistical Compendium, the companion volume to this report, the result of a first joint exercise of its kind between the statistical services of the different international organisations involved: Eurostat (the European Commission's statistical office), UNECE, OECD and WHO, and the European Environment Agency.

A considerable effort was given to the design of the report's structure in order to provide a flexible, comprehensive document with multiple entry points to serve a wide variety of potential users. Other products are being developed to help disseminate and give access to the information more easily. In particular, a project transferring the report to CD-ROM is underway which will integrate into a single product some of the more detailed background information used to compile this report and especially the contents of the Statistical Compendium. A short 'popular' version of the report is also being commissioned, as well as an environmental atlas.

The European Environment Agency is the inheritor of this work. It will, among other things, produce three-yearly state-of-the-environment reports, which will provide the link with the activities in preparing this report, and assure continuity with future environmental reporting.