The European Environment: State and Outlook 2015 (SOER 2015)

Transcription

1 The European Environment: State and Outlook 2015 (SOER 2015) - Implementation Plan - - Version September 2013 About this SOER 2015 Implementation Plan This SOER 2015 Implementation Plan complements the SOER 2015 Project Plan, describes in more detail operational objectives and guides the development of the different SOER 2015 parts. For each of five main parts of SOER 2015 (i.e. Synthesis, Part A, Part B, Part C, and SOER 2015 Online), this implementation plan describes the general approaches, clarifies specific objectives and target audiences; details the expected deliverables and outcomes, estimates staff and resource requirements, points to main information sources that will be used; proposes quality assurance and review mechanisms; and presents an overview of the key steps and timelines for each part and for the SOER 2015 process as a whole. This implementation plan also includes a dissemination and communication plan, and clarifies the project set-up and governance. Version 1.0 of this implementation plan will be made available to all those involved in the SOER 2015 process: within the EEA, Eionet, as well as other contributors. It thus aims to provide a common basis for respective work processes and related activities. Note that this implementation plan should not be read as a formal document; instead it offers guidance on how to implement SOER 2015 and may be subject to change as the process evolves.

2 Table of contents Table of contents 1 Introduction SOER 2015 Synthesis SOER 2015 Part A The European environment in a global context SOER 2015 Part B European-level thematic SOE information SOER 2015 Part C Country-level SOE information SOER 2015 Online SOER 2015 Communication and Dissemination SOER 2015 Project governance Annex I Key terms and definitions Annex II Selected EEA flanking activities and processes Annex III Geographical coverage, country names and country groupings Annex IV Staffing and resource requirements Annex V Project calendar and milestones towards SOER Versions Version Focus Date Zero draft outline (including timeline towards version 1.0) 11 Mar 0.2 Agreed Draft Outline 18 Mar Revision of outline, structure, etc. 15 Apr 0.4 Agreed Annotated Outline 29 Apr Input for all parts based on Annotated Outline 06 May 0.6 Agreed Preview for EEA internal feedback 13 May Revisions based on EEA internal feedback 23 May 0.8 Agreed Full draft for Eionet and EEA consultation 30 May Revisions based on Eionet and EEA consultation 19 Jul 1.0 Agreed Final Version of Implementation Plan 01 Sep Page 2 of 55

3 1 Introduction 1.1 Background and context The European Environment Agency (EEA) is mandated in its governing regulation to publish a State of the Environment Report (SOER) every five years, to address the state of, trends in and prospects for the environment in Europe. The SOER is thus one of the core products of the EEA. The next edition in this European reporting cycle is planned for publication early (i.e. first quarter) in 2015: European Environment: State and Outlook 2015 here referred to as SOER As with previous reports, the overarching goal of SOER 2015 will be to provide policymaking agents and the public with a credible, legitimate, relevant and accessible assessment, based on objective, reliable and comparable environmental information. For this, SOER 2015 aims to maintain continuity from previous state of the environment reports by building on the general structure and key outcomes of past reports, whilst improving where there are opportunities to do so. From SOER 2010 to SOER 2015: What will stay the same? And what will differ? Two elements that stay the same Maintain continuity regarding structure The SOER 2015 will build on the structure used in the two previous reports in 2005 and 2010, namely a distinct Part A (global), Part B (European) and Part C (countries). Keep and build on the existing narrative Rather than starting with a blank page, the SOER 2015 will further explore the main arguments developed in the SOER 2010 and subsequent cross-cutting reports. Two elements that differ Build more explicitly on existing EEA information Instead of developing new thematic and country assessments, the SOER 2015 will take stock of indicators and complement them with short briefings. Involve stakeholders more in reflecting on implications The SOER 2015 will explicitly aim to engage key stakeholders to inform a cross-cutting analysis and synthesis, and reflecting on their implications. A SOER 2015 Project Plan (see version 2.0 of 30 April 2013) clarifies the foreseen overall approach and outcomes. More specifically, the project plan addresses the why (i.e. background), what (i.e. products), who (i.e. project set-up) and when (i.e. timeline) of SOER This SOER 2015 Implementation Plan complements the project plan and describes operational objectives in more detail, guides the development of the different parts and outlines project governance. 1.2 Structure of SOER 2015 SOER 2015 provides an umbrella for two distinct, yet related types of outcomes. First, EEA will produce a series of short printed publications that summarise and reflect on the state of environment in Europe (i.e. SOER 2015 In Print). Second, these summary analyses will be accessible as part of the EEA s online services, along with the underlying dynamic information on the state of the environment i.e. monitoring, data, indicators, assessments (i.e. SOER 2015 Online). Both types of outcome are underpinned by the further development of a shared EEA and Eionet infrastructure to support the exchange and management of state of the environment reporting information including monitoring, data, indicators using web technologies (i.e. SOE Online). Page 3 of 55

4 Figure 1.1 The four main strands of activity and related outputs under the SOER 2015 umbrella; for a more detailed description of key terms, please see Annex I The SOER 2015 In Print will comprise four main parts. Three of these specifically address environmental challenges in a global (Part A), thematic (Part B) and national (Part C) context. A Synthesis provides a cross-cutting, comparative European perspective. SOER 2015 Synthesis ; summarising key thematic challenges, cross-cutting issues, and reflections on policy implications as well as offering overarching conclusions. SOER 2015 The European environment in a global context (Part A); comprising 11 (or more) megatrend fiches on global developments (11+ fiches; 4 pages each). This will be complemented by dedicated information related to global megatrends (FLIS) within SOER 2015 Online. SOER 2015 European-level thematic SOE assessment and information (Part B); comprising 20 to 30 thematic fiches on key environmental issues (20 to 30 fiches; 4 pages each). This will be complemented by thematic sets of indicators (CSI & IMS) within SOER 2015 Online. SOER 2015 Country-level SOE assessment and information (Part C); comprising 39 country fiches that offer a summary of national-level SOE reports (39 fiches, 4 pages each) plus 8 to 10 cross-country comparison fiches that show performance against a select number of indicators (up to 10 fiches, 4 pages each). This will be complemented by links to European and national level indicators (SENSE) as well as national-level SOE reports (SERIS) within SOER 2015 Online. Note that SOER 2015 assessments are complemented by a host of regular thematic assessments developed by the EEA including a series of Environmental Indicator Reports (2012, 2013, 2014), as well as various flanking activities and derivative products, such as EEA Signals (2015); see Annex II. Furthermore, SOER 2015 Online will provide an interactive platform to explore the respective thematic, country, cross-country comparison and megatrends fiches within the context of the wider EEA information base linking to related monitoring, data, indicators and assessments as relevant. Page 4 of 55

5 1.3 Guiding principles for SOER 2015 As noted above, the primary aim of the SOER 2015 is to fulfil the EEA s requirement to publish a report on the state of, trends in and prospects for the environment every five years and to provide objective, reliable and comparable information to policymaking agents and the public. Generally, environmental assessments including state of the environment reports have been seen to be most effective if the information provided is regarded by relevant stakeholders to be not only credible, but also salient (relevant) and legitimate. 1 Based on this, four primary guiding principles should govern the development of SOER 2015 with the aim to publish a credible and reliable, relevant and timely, legitimate and transparent, targeted and accessible assessment. Principle 1 - SOER 2015 should be based on credible and reliable sources; in other words, the underpinning data should be collected and processed using technically adequate methods and approaches, and the arguments developed should live up to the standards of scientific plausibility. How can SOER 2015 ensure that is based on credible & reliable sources? - some examples By underpinning assessments with quality-assured indicators, and being transparent about uncertainties By ensuring a scientific review (Scientific Committee) and consultation with country-level experts (Eionet) Principle 2 - SOER 2015 should address relevant and timely topics; in other words, the issues addressed and the structure used should directly relate to the challenges that stakeholders are facing, and thus inform and support decisions that stakeholders are taking before taking them. How can SOER 2015 ensure that address relevant & timely topics? - some examples By expanding on existing findings, and updating on issues identified in previous assessments By consulting with stakeholders about which topics to address (and how), and on the outcome of SOER assessments Principle 3 - SOER 2015 should be developed in a legitimate and transparent manner; in other words, the process by which conclusions are derived should be recognised as being unbiased and meeting standards of procedural fairness, ideally directly involving stakeholders as possible. How can SOER 2015 ensure that is developed in a legitimate & transparent way? - some examples By involving key stakeholders in arriving at cross-cutting conclusions and reflecting on their societal implications By guarding the independence of the EEA to ensure objective SOER assessment(s) Principle 4 - SOER 2015 should provide targeted and accessible information; in other words, both the underpinning information and the derived assessments should be presented in a transparent and open manner and actively delivered in appropriate formats to different stakeholders. How can SOER 2015 ensure that it provides targeted & accessible information? - some examples By developing targeted communication products for different audiences (e.g. Signals 2015; policy briefs) By making all underpinning data and information available on the EEA s website and/or its web-based services Subsequent to the finalisation and publication of SOER 2015, it should be evaluated against success criteria derived from the overarching aim and guiding principles introduced above. 1 For more details, see, for example the work done by the Global Environmental Assessment project. Page 5 of 55

6 1.4 The process towards SOER 2015 Immediately after the publication of SOER 2010 in November 2010, the focus lay on reflecting (i.e. on evaluating internally and externally) on what worked well in the SOER 2010 setting, and identifying scope for improvements. Based on this, a process of planning SOER 2015 commenced in 2012; taking into account the lessons learned from the SOER 2010 process. This resulted in a SOER 2015 Project Plan, as presented to the EEA governance structure and networks early in 2013 (i.e. including Management Board, Scientific Committee, Eionet). The finalisation of this SOER 2015 Implementation Plan marks the start of a series of activities to outline, draft, review, finalise, publish and eventually disseminate SOER 2015 set to culminate with the publication of the main parts of the report early in These activities will comprise 6 phases. SOER 2015 Phase Focus Indicative timing Phase 0 Implementation Plan Agree on a shared Implementation Plan (i.e. this document), to guide and structure strands of SOER 2015 work. until July 2013 Phase 1 Final Outline Phase 2 First Draft Develop outlines and guidance for all parts, include feedback loop with Eionet; SOER 2015 Online concept. Prepare a full draft of all fiches and the Synthesis; develop a fully functional test version of SOER 2015 Online. until Nov/Dec 2013 (all Parts) Jan to Mar 2014 (Parts B & C) 2 Jan to May 2014 (Parts A & Synthesis) Jan to May 2014 (SOER 2015 Online) Phase 3 Quality Assurance Review includes 2 weeks EEA-internal and 6 weeks Eionet and Scientific Committee consultation. Mar & Apr 2014 (Parts B & C) May & Jun 2014 (Parts A & Synthesis) Jun to Sep 2014 (SOER 2015 Online) Phase 4 Final Draft Finalise drafts, based on consultation process; prepare a beta-testing version of SOER 2015 Online. until Jul 2014 (Parts A,B, C) until Sep 2014 (Synthesis) until Sep 2014 (SOER 2015 Online) Phase 5 Publication Process Final consistency checks, lay-out, translate, print fiches and Synthesis; and finalise SOER 2015 Online. until Jan 2015 (all Parts) (note: allow for final data updates in November 2014 as necessary) Phase 6 Dissemination Launch SOER 2015, disseminate to respective audiences. Rest of Note that exact timing of the first drafts of thematic fiches may vary, depending on the timing of the respective timelines for underpinning data flows and indicator updates. Page 6 of 55

7 2 SOER 2015 Synthesis 2.1 Overall approach The SOER 2015 Synthesis will provide a strategic integrated assessment primarily based on the different constituent parts of SOER 2015, augmented by an additional integrated and cross-thematic analysis. In doing so, it will also serve as the basis for our formal compliance with the requirement to produce a five-year report as described under Article 2 (vi) of the regulation that establishes the EEA to report on the state of, trends in and prospects for the environment in Europe. A SOER 2015 Synthesis Report is to be drafted as a stand-alone document that can be read from start to end following one main thread (rather than being divided strictly along separate thematic chapters note that there will also not be distinct sections corresponding to Parts A, B, C). Where appropriate and relevant to the line of argument developed, the report will directly link and refer to thematic and/or country-level SOER 2010 assessments. A SOER 2015 Synthesis Stakeholder Process will parallel and underpin the drafting of the report. This process aims to spark discussions with selected societal stakeholders about differing perspectives on prospects for the environment in Europe, and what transitions might be required to achieve long-term environmental sustainability (see for example, the vision at the core of the proposal for a general Union Environmental Action Programme towards 2020 ). 3 The discussions triggered in the SOER 2015 Synthesis Stakeholder Process can thus help inform the drafting of the SOER 2015 Synthesis Report, and help place the findings of the wider SOER 2015 process into a coherent social and political context. 2.2 Specific objectives The main aim of this part is to publish a credible, relevant and legitimate report on the state of and trends in the environment in Europe and to contribute to the societal debate that focusses on the prospects to improve, ensure and maintain a good state of the environment. This would reflect, amongst others, on enabling factors towards achieving long-term sustainability visions. This overall aim can be translated into three specific objectives: To provide policy-makers and stakeholders with a credible, legitimate and relevant information base for decision-making, including development and implementation of environment policies. To underpin policy debates about emerging risks and their respective inter-linkages, and highlight how environmental challenges relate to other systemic, societal challenges. 3 The vision at the core of the European Commission proposal for General Union Environmental Action Programme towards 2020 (see COM(2012) 710) states: In 2050, we live well, within the planet's ecological limits. Our prosperity and healthy environment stem from an innovative, circular economy where nothing is wasted and where natural resources are managed in ways that enhance our society's resilience. Our low carbon growth has long been decoupled from resource use, setting the pace for a global sustainable economy. Page 7 of 55

8 To inform the societal discourse about the prospects to achieve an environmentally sustainable future, and the socio-economic transformations this may imply. 2.3 Target audiences The SOER 2015 Synthesis will primarily be targeted towards informing strategic decision-making. This includes those directly involved with EEA and EIONET, the wider policy arena, and civil society (including non-governmental organisations, business sectors as well as researchers), primarily in Europe. However, the report will also be of interest to those working to improve the state of the environment in an international and global setting. Key target audiences to address include: The college of European Union Commissioners, including their respective cabinets; Members of the European Parliament, with particular focus on ENVI Committee; Environment Ministers and their senior policy officials in Member States; International organisations, that require a European perspective on environmental issues; Civil society and green NGOs, with a focus on those represented in the Green Deliverables SOER 2015 In Print Synthesis Report As was the case in 2010, EEA plans to publish the SOER 2015 Synthesis Report as a book of about 200 pages in an A5 format combining text, graphs, tables and pictures. The report should initially be available in English, French and German (and other languages, as possible), and can be translated and launched in a staggered publication process throughout SOER 2015 Online - Synthesis The above SOER 2015 Synthesis report, as well as all underpinning indicators will be made available online. Furthermore, EEA will also explore whether this can be transposed also in more interactive formats (such as in an e-book format). 2.5 Information sources The SOER 2015 Synthesis will build a narrative based on three groups of information sources: 4 The report will be translated into all official languages of EEA member countries and EEA cooperating countries, in direct collaboration with the respective countries. Page 8 of 55

9 Key conclusions and draft fiches from the other three SOER 2015 Parts (i.e. Parts A, B, and C); and direct discussions with EEA thematic experts beyond the suggested staff seminars as needed. Reflections based on other EEA assessments and flanking activities (see Annex IV); especially the cross-thematic analysis in the series of Environmental Indicator Reports 2012, 2013, (Two) dedicated stakeholder workshops designed to discuss the prospects for the environment; as well as a dedicated Management Board Seminar discussion and EEA staff seminars. The timing of the different SOER 2015 strands of activities should allow for broad thematic input into the Synthesis drafting process. 2.6 Staffing and resource requirements The SOER 2015 Synthesis will primarily be drafted by a Synthesis Drafting Team, which consists of 4 to 5 lead authors (i.e. a coordinating lead author, plus representatives of the respective other SOER 2015 Parts to ensure coherence across the SOER 2015 as a whole at the same time this team will need to combine expertise along ecological, economic and social dimensions). In parallel to this, a Synthesis Stakeholder Process Team, which also consists of 4 to 5 EEA staff members will develop and guide the related stakeholder workshops as well as the Management Board seminar, including also a dedicated external support to the facilitation of this process. Both the SOER 2015 Synthesis Drafting and the Stakeholder Process Teams primarily comprise staff from the IEA programme. However, input from and involvement of other staff across all EEA programmes will be required throughout the process. Staffing Who? Estimated staff involvement (*) SOER 2015 Synthesis - Drafting Team 1.0 FTE SOER 2015 Synthesis - Stakeholder Workshops Other EEA involvement in Synthesis 0.5 FTE 1.5 FTE (*) FTE = Full-time equivalent, this is a unit that indicates the workload of an employed person in a way that makes workloads comparable. Over the period July 2013 to December 2014, 1.0 FTE indicates a workload of 300 person-days. For an overview of and further details on staffing and resource requirements, please see Annex IV. 2.7 Quality assurance EEA internal quality assurance First Internal EEA consultation, focus on annotated outline January 2014 Dedicated EEA Staff Workshop on SOER 2015 Synthesis April 2014 Second Internal EEA consultation two weeks before Eionet 2 weeks in early May 2014 Third Internal EEA consultation in parallel with Eionet consultation May / June 2014 Page 9 of 55

10 EEA stakeholder consultation and Eionet review 2 stakeholder workshops to harvest perspectives on prospects for the environment (see above) Scientific Committee meeting in autumn 2013 to discuss outline EEA Management Board Seminar to discuss strategic direction 25 or 26 March 2014 Formal Eionet consultation of First Draft Report May / June 2014 Scientific Committee meeting in spring 2014 to discuss reflections 2.8 Meetings External meetings Two dedicated stakeholder workshops are foreseen, geared towards discussing the prospects for the environment in Europe and the scope for societal and environmental transitions to meet long-term visions (e.g. as laid out in the EU s environment action programme). The objectives for this stakeholder engagement process are: spark discussions on perspectives on the prospects of the environment in Europe; reflect on the various long-term environmental visions and their implications; discuss how a transition to the long-term ambitions of the European Union could be achieved; specify the need for a knowledge base for the transition. These workshops will involve a limited number (about 35) of selected societal stakeholders, ideally the same stakeholders would return for both workshops. Participation is by invitation only. For this we will seek to invite individuals in their personal capacity from different domains, see below. Domain Category/Actor How many stakeholders (circa)? Policy European Commission 4 European Parliament 2 Civil society and local / regional governance Member States Governments 3 International Organisations 1 Subtotal 10 NGOs and other societal actors 5 Local and regional governance 3 Subtotal 8 Business and industry Business organisations 4 Companies 4 Subtotal 8 Research and free thinkers Researchers and think tanks 5 Free thinkers (wildcards) 4 Subtotal 9 TOTAL 35 SOER 2015 Stakeholder Workshop 1 9/10 November 2013 will focus on brainstorming (i.e. with the aim to discuss a range of stakeholder perspectives on long-term environmental prospects). Page 10 of 55

11 SOER 2015 Stakeholder Workshop 2 6/7 February focus on consolidating (i.e. with the aim to further reflect and refine the outcomes of the first workshop). Internal meetings EEA Management Board Seminar 25 or 26 March 2014 EEA Staff Workshop on SOER 2015 Synthesis XX April 2014 (to be decided) 2.9 Links with and dependencies on other SOER 2015 parts The Synthesis depends on other SOER 2015 parts to provide a basis for the analysis. The suggested timeline depends, amongst other things, on: Focus of Part B is agreed upon by December 2013, ideally November 2013; Advanced draft Part A fiches are available for MB seminar, i.e. by Mid-March 2014; Advanced draft Part B fiches are available for MB seminar, i.e. by Mid-March 2014; Cross-country comparisons of Part C are available by Mid-March 2014; Final country fiches are available by June Detailed timeline and key steps 2013 Synthesis stakeholder process Synthesis drafting process Jul Contract Stakeholder Support Contract Agreement Background Analysis Aug Sep Oct Nov Send official invitations to Stakeholders Finalise Workshop 1 Agenda Dec SOER 2015 Stakeholder Workshop 1 Zero Draft Synthesis Report (Annotated Outline) 2014 Synthesis stakeholder process Synthesis drafting process Jan Finalise Workshop 2 Agenda Eionet Feedback on Annotated Outline Feb SOER 2015 Stakeholder Workshop 2 Finalise Management Board Seminar Agenda Mar EEA Management Board Seminar 25/26 Mar 2014 Apr EEA Staff Workshop on SOER 2015 First Draft Synthesis Report May Jun Eionet Consultation Eionet Consultation Jul Final discussions at respective MB/SC/NFP meets Final comments from EEA stakeholder Aug Sep Oct Nov Final Draft Synthesis Report Lay-out & Translations start Lay-out Dec Printing of EN/FR/DE version (others may come later) 2015 Synthesis stakeholder process Synthesis drafting process Jan Launch events focussed on Synthesis report Final Version Synthesis Report (ready for publication) Page 11 of 55

12 3 SOER 2015 Part A The European environment in a global context 3.1 Overall approach Part A of the SOER 2015 consists primarily of an update of the Assessment of Global Megatrends report published under the SOER 2010 umbrella, i.e. it will focus on the 11 global megatrends already identified and analysed for the SOER 2010 process. The reason for this is that the same global megatrends addressed in 2010 remain central to the discussion today: by their nature, megatrends are stable over longer time periods. However, it is worth noting that compared to the SOER 2010 analysis, the aim is to focus more on the inter-linkages between megatrends and their implications for Europe s environmental policy and related long term objectives. 3.2 Specific objectives The main aim of this part is to provide a backdrop for understanding the state of the environment in Europe in a longer-term and global context; with a focus on a 2050 perspective (and beyond this for selected issues) and to thus provide relevant and credible input into stakeholder discussions. This overall aim can be translated into three specific objectives: To provide relevant insights for strategic planning and decision-making (within the European Union and beyond the EU/European setting; for environmental policies and related policies). To identify main drivers 5 of change at global level, and provide a long term perspective on changes that most likely will impact Europe s environment but are outside of its direct control. To provide evidence about the changing nature of environmental challenges, as well as their drivers, inter-linkages and uncertainties - and subsequently the implications for our assessment and accounting tools and our policy. To help identifying potential emerging issues. 3.3 Target audiences Part A is primarily targeted towards informing strategic decision-making both within and beyond the environmental community, and both inside and outside Europe. It provides for those that want to get an overview of key external factors that might affect the success of environmental policies and related decisions. This includes policy makers as well as civil society. 5 As related to social, technological, economic, environmental and governance megatrends. Page 12 of 55

13 Key target audiences to address include: Bureau for European Policy Advisors (BEPA), in particular the on-going process ESPAS "European Strategy and Policy Analysis System they coordinate; Commissioners cabinets especially those responsible for ENV, CLIMA, ENTR, RTD and others; Director General (or their advisors) especially in DGs ENV, CLIMA, ENTR, RTD, JRC, ESTAT and others; NGOs dealing with strategic EU policy (such as Friends of Europe and Asia-Europe Foundation); Global Legislators' Organisation (GLOBE International / GLOBE EU) as well as Members of the European Parliament and national parliamentarians. Furthermore, the assessments of various global megatrends presented in Part A is likely to be relevant to and spark interest among a broader audience willing to reflect on environmental challenges is a broader socio-economic context. 3.4 Deliverables Part A should deliver a minimum of 11 fiches (see table below), building on to the 11 megatrends identified and discussed in the SOER 2010 the respective 2010 versions will be updated for 2015 and focus will be on possible implications for Europe. The 11 global megatrends discussed include 8 Non Environmental GMTs (referring to social, technological, economy or governance trends) as well as 3 Environmental GMTs. Note that updating here refers to bringing in the latest figures available for the indicators used, using or adding other relevant indicators currently available, and changing the text accordingly. Global Megatrends (GMT) in 2015 Corresponding Global Megatrends in SOER 2010 Social 1. Demography related GMT 1. Increasing global divergence in population trends 2. Urbanisation related GMT 2. Living in an urban world: spreading cities and spiralling consumption 3. Health related GMT 3. Changing patterns of global disease burdens and the risk of new pandemics Technology 4. Technology related GMT 4. Accelerating technologies Economy 5. Growth related GMT 5. Continued economic growth 6. Trade related GMT 6. Global power shifts from a uni-polar to a multi-polar world 7. Competition related GMT 7. Intensified global competition for resources Environment 8. Resource scarcity related GMT 8. Decreasing stocks of natural resources 9. Climate related GMT 9. Increasing severity of the consequences of climate change 10. Pollution related GMT 10. Increasing unsustainable environmental pollution load Governance 11. International treaties related GMT 11. Environmental régulation and governance : increasing fragmentation and convergence Page 13 of 55

14 SOER 2015 In Print - Part A GMT Fiches In print, Part A will consist of a minimum of 11 fiches, one per each of the global megatrends. The format, length and style will be similar to the SOER 2010 edition however the 11 global megatrends will be presented as 4 pages fiches, with an average of 2 to 3 indicator-based graphs or figures per fiche. SOER 2015 Online Part A SOER 2015 Online will possibly include a system maps presentation of the 11 GMT as well as all the fiches as pages within the proposed SOER 2015 Online platform. Within this potential the links to related thematic (Part B) and country-level (Part C) information will be developed further. This should be complemented with links to indicators that relate to the global megatrends discussed in the GMT fiches, such as those included in the EEA s Forward Looking Information System (FLIS). 3.5 Information sources For (a) Non Environmental GMTs (i.e. 8 Fiches) the main source of information are the assessments already presented in SOER 2010 Assessment of Global Megatrends, with updated data based on the sources of indicators (such as JRC, IEA, IIASA, UN OECD, etc.). This may be complemented with additional sources and information, as relevant indicated in the EEA 2013 publication plan. For (b) Environmental GMTs (i.e. 3 Fiches) the main source of information will be the assessments presented in the SOER 2010 Part A and their underpinning information sources; complemented using more recent EEA information and related indicators within the EEA s thematic indicator sets. These may become available in Staffing and resource requirements The GMT fiches will be drafted by a GMT Fiches Drafting Team, comprising 4 to 5 lead authors (from the IEA programme) plus editorial support (from the Communications programme). In addition, especially as regards the three Environmental GMTs, contributions from and interaction with other EEA staff will be sought (primarily from thematic experts in the ACC, IEA and NSV programmes). Staffing - Who? Estimated staff involvement (*) SOER 2015 Part A Team (drafting and editing) SOER 2015 Part A Contributors to GMT updating, analysis and drafting SOER 2015 Part A Other EEA involvement (e.g. IT support, fiche design, etc.) TOTAL 1.0 FTE 0.4 FTE 0.1 FTE 1.5 FTE (*) FTE = Full-time equivalent, this is a unit that indicates the workload of an employed person in a way that makes workloads comparable. Over the period July 2013 to December 2014, 1.0 FTE indicates a workload of 300 person-days. For an overview of and further details on staffing and resource requirements, please see Annex IV. Page 14 of 55

15 3.7 Quality assurance As we are aiming to ensure coherence regarding the focus, format, length and style of assessment of global megatrends as presented in SOER 2010, the overall approach and selection of topics has already been quality assured and confirmed through the previous report. Nevertheless, there is a need to quality assure the updates of the global megatrends and their interpretation into dedicated fiches. This will be done through the usual EEA consultation mechanisms as well as via discussions with a dedicated advisory group (see below). EEA internal quality assurance The full set of 11 global megatrend fiches will be shared internally prior to an Eionet consultation 2 weeks in early May 2014; Interaction with thematic experts during the GMT updating process, especially as regards the 3 Environmental Megatrends (to ensure coherence with general EEA analysis and messaging). Ad-hoc consultation with thematic expert whenever relevant (e.g. energy, health, chemicals, etc.) EEA stakeholder consultation and Eionet review An Advisory Group (including experts from IIASA; JRC; OECD; BEPA nominees) will be established to help review global megatrends - especially for the 8 Non-Environmental GMTs (note this approach is analogous to the SOER 2010 approach); The full set of 11 global megatrend fiches will be subject to an Eionet and Scientific Committee consultation May/June 2014; The NRC-FLIS network will be consulted regarding background studies and draft versions of the GMT fiches, as appropriate. 3.8 Meetings External meetings One external advisory group meeting see above (Nov/ Dec 201 or Jan/Feb 2014). Internal meetings Several meetings of GMT Drafting Team (ca. 4 meetings in 2013); Several meetings of GMT Drafting Team & Contributors (ca. 10 meetings in 2013 and 2014). Page 15 of 55

16 3.9 Links with and dependencies on other SOER 2015 parts The GMT fiches are a building block towards the SOER 2015 Stakeholder Process and the Synthesis report drafting; thus advanced draft Part A fiches ( zero drafts ) will be available for the MB seminar, i.e. by mid-march The GMT updating and analysis (especially related to the Non-Environmental GMTs ) provide contextual information about socio-economic trends that might otherwise not readily available in an EEA context this can provide an input to Part B related analyses and thematic fiches, as needed. The GMT analysis presented regarding Environmental GMTs need to be cross-checked against similar information in related Part B thematic fiches. If country fiches in Part C include information on global megatrends (this is likely for some countries only), then this should be checked for consistency with the analysis presented in Part A GMT fiches Detailed timeline and key steps The updating and analysis of global megatrend and related background analysis will be done progressively, as indicated below. The updates on Non Environmental GMTs (i.e. social, economic, technological and governance megatrends, GMT 1-7 & 11) are scheduled to be delivered from July 2013 to March The updates on Environmental GMTs (GMT 8-10) will prepared between November 2013 and May 2014 (based also on internal discussions). These updates of global megatrends provide the basis for drafting the GMT fiches. Page 16 of 55

17 2013 Part A GMT updating & analysis Part A GMT Fiches Jul Aug Sep Draft update of GMT 5, 6, 7 (i.e. related to Economic GMTs) Oct Draft update of GMT 1, 2, 3, 4 (i.e. related to Social GMTs and technological) Nov Draft update of GMT 8 and GMT 10 pollution (i.e. natural resources, based on NSV and ACC2 input) Dec Draft structure for GMT fiches Final structure for GMT fiches 2014 Part A GMT updating & analysis Part A GMT Fiches Jan Advisory group meeting? Feb Draft update of GMT 11 (i.e. on governance) Mar Draft update of GMT 9 (i.e. on climate change, based on ACC3 input) Apr May Zero Draft GMT fiches as input to MB seminar (based on the respective GMT updates) First Draft GMT fiches (based on the respective GMT updates) EIONET consultation Jun EIONET consultation Jul Final Draft of all 11 GMT fiches Aug LAY-OUT Sep LAY-OUT Oct LAY-OUT Nov Final update/correction of numbers Dec 2015 Part A GMT updating process Part A GMT Fiches Jan Publication of Full Set of GMT fiches Note: The publication of updated GMT i.e. updates of the GMT information in the SOER 2010 Part A is already foreseen in the 2013 Publication Plan. Page 17 of 55

18 4 SOER 2015 Part B European-level thematic SOE information 4.1 Overall approach Part B will comprise 20 to 30 brief summaries of key environmental themes providing an overview of the European environment s status and trends. These will be delivered via two main outputs, as printed SOER 2015 thematic fiches (i.e. 4-page briefings) and within SOER 2015 Online. The Part B structure in 2015 will thus differ somewhat from that employed in SOER 2010, which addressed 13 topics with 40-page summaries. A key aim of this approach to providing European-level information on state of and trends in different environmental topics is to build on and avoid the duplication of the EEA s existing annual reporting work. Thus SOER 2015 provides a gateway to EEA s environmental knowledge base. 4.2 Specific objectives The main aim of this part is to provide an overview of the state of environment at European level for a selection of key environmental themes and to publish accessible and credible environmental information. This should build on and complement the on-going assessment work across the EEA. This overall aim can be translated into three specific objectives: To provide a comprehensive thematic overview of the European environment s status, trends (and prospects) to support European decision-making and implementation of European environmental policies. To cluster and summarise EEA knowledge on key environmental challenges and themes in a concise and accessible format, serving as an entry point to the more detailed data, indicators and assessments in the EEA information and knowledge base. To provide a baseline for policy debates on specific environmental issues, based on the 2020 objectives set out in the general Union Environment Action Programme to 2020 ( 7EAP ). 4.3 Target audiences The audience for SOER 2015 Part B are specialists, and informed or interested non-specialists, that want to get a short overview of policy context, successes, and challenges of specific environmental issues. The primary target audience of Part B are therefore EU decision-makers 6 and EU policyinfluencers 7 with an interest in thematic environmental issues such as: 6 Decision-makers are those who review policy options to negotiate and decide on new or revised policies, based on work and evidence provided by policy-influencers. 7 Policy-influencers can be those who review and assess evidence to produce policy options for decision-makers or those who influence decision-makers towards deciding on their preferred policy options (e.g. pressure groups). Page 18 of 55

19 Commissioners for the environment, climate action, transport, industry, energy, [thematic portfolios based on the current distribution]; and their respective cabinets; Members of the European Parliament s ENVI, ITRE, TRAN, AGRI, REGI, and PECH committees [thematic committees based on the current distribution] as well as European Parliament Library and Documentary Management [prepares individualised briefings for MEPs]; Heads of the European Parliament s ENVI, ITRE, TRAN, AGRI, REGI, and PECH Committee Secretariats; Directors-General, Directors and thematic experts in DGs ENV, CLIMA, MOVE, ENER, TRAN, AGRI, REGI, MARE, SANCO, ENTR, JRC, RTD, ESTAT [for the European Commission], DGs IPOL [for the European Parliament] and DG I [for the Council of the European Union]; Environment attachés at the Permanent Representations of the EU Member States and at Missions to the European Union of the remaining EEA member countries; SOER 2015 Online will provide a vehicle for attracting second tier audiences with SOER 2015 Part B to EEA s thematic web-pages, indicators, reports and assessments. These audiences include NGOs specialised in thematic areas (notably Green 10 NGOs), journalists (especially Brussels-based correspondents of lead media), Brussels-based think tanks and foundations such as the European Climate Foundation, and academics and students. 4.4 Deliverables SOER 2015 In Print Part B Thematic Fiches A collection of 20 to 30 4-page thematic fiches produced in paper format for delivering to target audiences. The structure of these, and the topics they address, will be decided upon in Possible structure of a 4-page thematic fiches (for further discussion) Summary (1/2 page) EU Policy context (1/2 page) State of, trends in, prospects for theme (1 page) Box: A key indicator (1/2 page, including country breakdown, if possible) State of action (successes / challenges ahead) (1/2 page) Key links to other environmental challenges (1/2 page) Overview of related EEA indicators / reports (1/2 page) Note: Each of these four-page fiches should be linked one or several up-to-date thematic web-site, including up-to-date indicators. SOER 2015 Online Part B SOER 2015 will include a presentation of the thematic fiches as pages within the proposed SOER 2015 Online platform. This online presentation play an important role as it integrates the Part B content, enabling users to explore other themes and SOER 2015 products and to access more detailed information in the EEA knowledge base. It also allows integration with global (Part A) and country-level (Part C) analysis. Page 19 of 55

20 4.5 Information sources SOER 2015 Part B will build on and complement the on-going reporting and assessment work in the thematic groups across the EEA. Part B summaries will summarise the existing EEA knowledge base (including existing or on-going work). Key sources for SOER 2015 Part B include EEA indicators, related fact sheets, as well as annual reporting and assessment processes such as the air quality and TERM reports 8. In exceptional cases fiches can be based on other EEA information or information based on officially reported data. In such cases, it is the responsibility of the respective thematic groups to assure and control data quality and to ensure the thematic fiche will present credible, relevant, legitimate and accessible evidence. 4.6 Staffing and resource requirements Within the EEA, the contributors will primarily be project managers in ACC, NSV and IEA, with editorial support from IEA and COM, and IT support from SES and OSE. A thematic project manager will be assigned lead for each of the fiches, which will be coordinated with the program representative in the SOER 2015 team. Staffing - Who? Estimated staff involvement (*) SOER 2015 Part B Team (analysis, drafting and editing) SOER 2015 Part B Additional thematic input, indicator and analytical support SOER 2015 Part B Other EEA involvement (e.g. IT support, fiche design, etc.) 1.0 FTE 0.4 FTE 0.1 FTE TOTAL 1.5 FTE (*) FTE = Full-time equivalent, this is a unit that indicates the workload of an employed person in a way that makes workloads comparable. Over the period July 2013 to December 2014, 1.0 FTE indicates a workload of 300 person-days. For an overview of and further details on staffing and resource requirements, please see Annex IV. 4.7 Quality assurance EEA internal quality assurance Since Part B content summarises existing EEA analyses, the inputs should already be factually robust. Particular attention has however to be paid to quality assurance and control in the development of the contributions to Part B. EEA stakeholder consultation and Eionet review Further quality assurance comes from the interaction of project managers and editorial support, and subsequent Eionet (etc.) review. 8 An overview of these will be provided by the EEA based on the EEA Publication Plan by January Page 20 of 55

21 4.8 Meetings No additional external meetings are foreseen in the development of SOER 2015 Part B. 4.9 Links with and dependencies on other parts The Part B fiches will feed into the SOER 2015 Synthesis and drafts should therefore be ready before main drafting periods of the Synthesis. Indicators used to underpin the cross-country comparisons fiches in Part C and the thematic fiches in Part B should be consistent, ideally the same indicators will be used in both Detailed timeline and key steps The milestones and deliverables for delivering SOER 2015 Part B are as follows: I. Creating a template: The SOER 2015 Part B Team develops a common template for thematic fiches, suited to both print and online presentation. The template will help thematic experts / project managers structure their contributions, and maintain a consistent length and style across themes. While this standardized template will guide the drafting of all thematic fiches it should be flexible enough to allow adaptation to the specifics within different themes as needed (and it should not limit the selection of topics). II. Agreeing on topics: The final selection of topics will be agreed with EEA s programmes and shared with Eionet. In line with the approach and objectives outlined above, the themes should be selected based on an assessment of the extent to which they fulfil the following four criteria: a) are they relevant to European policy, in particular the priorities set out in the 7th EAP and the Europe 2020 strategy? b) do they collectively provide a reasonably comprehensive overview of the European environment s status, trends and prospects? c) do we have indicators to support an analysis of the issue? d) do they help succinctly explain key concepts and themes that are used in SOER 2015? Based on these criteria, the selection could, for example, include: sectors (e.g. transport, agriculture) ecosystem status (e.g. water flows, biodiversity, adaptation) pressures (e.g. chemicals, air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions) societal drivers and impacts (e.g. consumption, environment and health, climate change) concepts (e.g. green economy, ecosystem services) III. Circular to NFP/Eionet, DGs ENV, CLIMA, ESTAT, JRC and RTD: informing them about EEA s intentions and requirements for data inputs in SOER 2015 Part B to the extent possible. Page 21 of 55

22 IV. (a) updating indicators, (b) identifying thematic reports and assessments of relevance, and (c) developing content: based on the template, indicators, thematic reports and assessments, the content of SOER 2015 Part B will be developed via an iterative collaboration of project managers and editorial support (provided by SOER 2015 Part B co-leads in ACC, IEA and NSV, and COM editors) to ensure high quality and consistent communications based on relevant indicators. The content will be presented in a way that allows for updates to be easily integrated. V. Eionet consultation: draft fiches to be distributed to Eionet for comment. VI. Draft final: draft final fiches developed based on Eionet feedback. VII. Design of outputs: print and digital outputs related to SOER 2015 Part B should be well designed and presented. Some design will be undertaken by external consultants under the direction of OSE and COM, and in consultation with the Part B co-leaders. VIII. Final update: with most recent data so that officially reported data in SOER 2015 Part B is no older than 2013 (year of publication minus two) to the extent possible. IX. Final outputs: SOER 2015 Part B content must be finalised well in advance of the publication date to allow the production of the print and digital outputs. In a few cases where regular thematic reports are produced in the second half of the year, it will be necessary to make provisions for late updates to the Part B content Part B Thematic Fiches Jul Aug Sep I. Draft template and II. Draft Selection of fiches/agreeing on topics Oct III. Circular to NFP/Eionet, DGs ENV, CLIMA, ESTAT, JRC and RTD / Eionet Feedback Nov Final selection of topics / final outline of thematic fiches Dec 2014 Part B Thematic Fiches Jan IV. (a) updating indicators, (b) identifying thematic reports and assessments of relevance Feb IV. (c) developing content/ drafting of fiches Mar V. Eionet consultation Apr May Eionet consultation continues Jun IV. Draft final Jul VII. Design of outputs Aug Sep Oct VIII. Final updates Nov IX. Final outputs Dec 2015 Part B Thematic Fiches Jan Publication Page 22 of 55

23 5 SOER 2015 Part C Country-level SOE information 5.1 Overall approach The overall aim of SOER 2015 Part C is to provide an overview of and make accessible - at EU-Level - state of environment information available at the country level and link these to a European level analysis. This has the potential to show that Europe has, through the strong common environmental policy framework, worked to deliver environmental improvements for the benefit for its citizens. The European level analysis will enable the comparison of countries while also providing information about different national circumstances relevant to understanding the state of environment and progress towards successful environmental policy implementation. It should also allow illustration of specific national environmental challenges and response measures relevant to the European setting. In SOER 2005, Part C comprised a country analysis and scorecard of relative country performance based on 9 indicators from the EEA Core Set of Indicators. SOER 2010 Part C comprised country assessments which included country profiles, covered common thematic areas whilst offering flexibility to highlight national or regional environmental issues of particular interest to countries. The approach in SOER 2015 Part C draws on both these and will comprise of country fiches, as well as cross-country comparison fiches based on selected EEA indicators. In addition, Part C will also allow interested countries to provide a link to their respective country level information and indicators (using SENSE). 5.2 Specific objectives The main aim of this part is to provide an overview of and make accessible state of environment information available at the country level and link these to the European level. More specifically, Part C has three objectives which relate to the three dimensions of the activities, namely, information provision; benchmarking and comparison; and putting in place effective systems: To provide interested parties with comparable, accurate and timely information on environmental status in EEA member and cooperating countries that provides useful input into national environmental policy debates of Europe-wide relevance. ( Information provision ). To demonstrate country performance and enable the user/reader to compare countries with others. ( Benchmarking and comparison ). To provide national SOE information in an accessible and comparable way that is efficiently and effectively integrated into SOE online and presented in SOER 2015 Online. ( Effective systems ). Page 23 of 55

24 5.3 Target audiences Part C is primarily targeted towards specialists, and informed or interested non-specialists, that want to get an overview of the state of environment in different countries, and compare approaches across countries. Therefore it is also targeted at policy makers both at the European and the national with an interest to look across countries for peer-to-peer learning and policy implementation. Key target audiences to address include: Directors and other high level decision makers responsible for EU policy in EU level; National-level parliamentarians and decision makers, seeking to see European comparisons; Desk officers at DG ENV (and other relevant DGs); Committee of Regions and other European policy bodies with regional focus NFP/Eionet (including EEA) i.e. to foster cross-country learning and sharing of good practice. In addition, there is a broader range of second tier audiences and users of the SOER 2015 Part C, for whom it provides a resource that can be used in their work and would be accessed through SOER 2015 Online. These include National and European NGOs, the research community and environmental journalists. 5.4 Deliverables SOER 2015 In Print Part C: Country fiches A (i.e. one per country) 4 -page fiche for each EEA member and cooperating country will provide a summary of the respective national SOE report(s). EEA suggests that each fiche will be made available in English and only upon request in the respective national language(s). Furthermore, the updated SERIS (State of the Environment Report Information System) will offer an overview and direct link to related SOE reports. To ensure comparability across country fiches, EEA will provide a template, guidance and editorial support for implementing the country fiches. The guidance will provide an explanation of the questions and illustrative examples. This will help ensure that comparable issues are covered by each country, but should also enable the inclusion of issues of particular interest for countries, reflecting different country realities. Part C: Regional fiches for the Southern and Eastern European Neighbourhood, and the Arctic? In addition to the 39 country fiches, there is scope to add a limited number of regional fiches that provide a summary of the state of environment in the European Neighbourhood for example, focussing on the Arctic, the Mediterranean, the Black Sea, or the Baltic Sea. Alternatively, these may address other regional groupings in the Eastern and Southern European Neighbourhood. Either way, these regional fiches should be published as a coherent set. Such regional fiches would follow the same logic and template as the country fiches, i.e. only build on existing regional SOE reports and assessments and summarise these as appropriate, rather than developing new dedicated assessments. Note that regional fiches, if included in SOER 2015, would be drafted by EEA in cooperation with relevant regional networks. Whether to include regional fiches, and the selection of possible regions requires further discussion. Page 24 of 55

25 SOER 2015 In Print Part C: Cross-country comparison fiches For each of 8-10 selected thematic areas, EEA will produce a 4-page cross-country comparison fiche based on a subset of the EEA Core Set of Indicators (CSI) that includes information at country level. EEA will use criteria to select the indicators adapted from those used in SENSE-2 (see section 5.11) in conjunction with EEA indicator managers and thematic experts. The selection of topics to cover and indicators to use in cross-country comparison fiches will be coordinated with the selection of topics in SOER 2015 Part B. The cross-country comparison fiches are not thematic fiches but focus on country comparisons using a single indicator for each area and so are complementary to the Part B fiches. EEA will also consider a 4-page summary fiche that presents the information for all indicators in a single table for quick reference (note: this will not attempt to provide a summary indicator or an overall scorecard to rank country performances). SOER 2015 Online Part C: Country level information and indicators In addition to making all of the above fiches available online, Part C will allow for making links to national level environmental indicators through SENSE (Shared European and National State of the Environment) technology for interested countries. This will offer a country-level perspective of environmental performance and add detail to underpin the cross-country comparison fiche(s), as well as providing additional information beyond that presented in the country fiche(s). The information delivered through SENSE is voluntary, and will be of the sole responsibility of the EEA member and cooperating countries. 5.5 Information sources The main information sources for Part C are the National SOE reports (registered in SERIS) and indicators (including those that are made available via SENSE); and selected EEA indicators which include a country breakdown. 5.6 Staffing and resource requirements The overall production of the Part C will be coordinated by the EEA Part C Team consisting of representatives from GAN, IEA and SES Programmes. Country fiches are to be drafted by respective country representatives in Eionet (preferably the authors of the respective national SOE reports) with support from the EEA Part C team, EEA Country Desk Officers (CDO) and EEA editors where appropriate. Page 25 of 55

26 Regional fiches, if included, could be drafted by the EEA, in cooperation between the GAN and EDO programmes building on existing regional SOE reports and building on cooperation with those responsible for the respective reporting and assessment processes (e.g. Plan Bleu Horizon 2020 ). The cross-country comparison fiches will be drafted by EEA IEA programme expert(s) with support from the Part C team and relevant EEA thematic experts/indicator managers. SOER 2015 Part C - EEA contribution Staffing Who? SOER 2015 Part C Team (coordination, analysis and drafting) SOER 2015 Part C Thematic input, indicator and analytical support, editing Estimated staff involvement 1.0 FTE 0.8 FTE SOER 2015 Part C Other EEA involvement (e.g. IT support, fiche design, etc.) 0.2 FTE TOTAL 2.0 FTE (*) FTE = Full-time equivalent, this is a unit that indicates the workload of an employed person in a way that makes workloads comparable. Over the period July 2013 to December 2014, 1.0 FTE indicates a workload of 300 person-days. SOER 2015 Part C - Eionet contribution per country Staffing Who? Role Days, i.e. mid-13 to end-14 NRC-SOE/NFPs Drafting country fiches 10 (i.e. 10 days per fiche) TOTAL Note: This assumes a total of up to 10 days per country fiche. Review of cross-country comparisons 5 (i.e. 0.5 day per fiche) SERIS updating and related work 1 to 5 15 to 20 days (per country) For an overview of and further details on staffing and resource requirements, please see Annex IV. 5.7 Quality assurance EEA internal quality assurance Country fiches the information sources come from quality approved national SOE reports and the country fiches will be reviewed by the Part C team and EEA Country Desk Officers (CDO) network. Cross-country comparison fiches indicator managers and the Part C team will review the draft cross-country comparison fiches. EEA stakeholder consultation and Eionet review Cross-country comparison fiches Eionet review of draft cross-country comparison fiches. 5.8 Meetings In addition to regular online communication, the implementation of SOER 2015 Part C will be discussed at regular NFP/Eionet, NRC SOE and NRC EIS meetings in 2013 and In addition, one special joint meeting of NFPs and NRC-SOE on drafts of Part C in spring 2014 might be considered. Internal bilateral meetings with indicator managers, editors and CDOs will be organised as needed. Page 26 of 55

27 5.9 Links with and dependencies on other parts While the Synthesis and Part A can draw on Part C, Part C is more explicitly linked to Part B through the indicators, in particular the cross-country comparison. Ideally the selection of indicators highlighted in thematic fiches in Part B and in cross-country comparison fiches in Part C will be consistent. Where country fiches address global megatrends, the overall coherence with Part A needs to be checked. Part B can also use the country fiches to add a more detailed perspective to its European level analyses. There is no need for an explicit link between the cross-country comparison and country fiches as long as a mechanism to add country perspectives to cross-country comparison in SOER 2015 Online is in place. SOER 2015 Online will have an online tool that enables user interaction. The SENSE-3 project will facilitate the provision of country level information and indicators, including possible mappings to a selected subset of EEA CSI. This information will be used to (i) extend the country fiches with links to EEA CSI interpretations; and (ii) connect country comparisons with national interpretations. The SENSE-3 project plan has been aligned with the timetable presented in this implementation plan Detailed timeline and key steps Country fiches I. Development of a template - the template will specify a maximum overall word count for the fiche. Draft questions for the sections include: What main areas/issues/themes are addressed in the national SOE report? What were the key findings? What are the main challenges / environmental concerns in your country? What country specific issues in SOE would you like to highlight? This can include the environmental political agenda, include green economy, forward looking information and scenarios, regional issues etc. EEA suggests that the working language for fiche development is English. Cross-country comparison fiches By mid-september EEA will propose a draft choice of indicators, methodological approach for comparison and mechanism for adding a country perspective. Page 27 of 55

28 I. Indicator selection - Criteria used to select indicators will be based on, amongst others, those used in SENSE-2, e.g.: The indicator should be available in the Indicator Management System (IMS); The indicator should be published on the EEA website; The indicator should cover all EEA-33 countries, and preferably also address EEA cooperating countries; The indicator should be updated regularly; National-level information should be available for at least one graph; The indicator should be policy relevant; The indicator should ideally be part of the EEA Core Set of Indicators; 9 The indicator should preferably be included in a Part B thematic fiche (where relevant). Which cross-country comparison indicators? - In the SENSE 2 project 10 nine indicators have been used - these provide a starting point for selection of indicators in an SOER 2015 context. An overview of the indicators used in SOER 2005 and SENSE-2 are provided in the table below. Further analysis is required before proposing a final draft list of indicators - based on the current review of the CSI and the eventual selection of the Part B topics. SOER 2005 Part C indicators SENSE-2 indicators SOER 2015 Part C indicators CSI 001 Emissions of acidifying CSI 001 Emissions of acidifying Indicator(s) on air (?) substances substances CSI 002 Emissions of ozone precursors CSI 002 Emissions of ozone precursors CSI 010 Greenhouse gas emissions CSI 003 Emissions of primary particulate matter and secondary particulate matter CSI 008 Designated areas Indicator(s) on biodiversity (?) CSI 010 Greenhouse gas emission Indicator(s) on climate change (?) trends CSI 011 Greenhouse gas emissions projections CSI 016 Municipal waste generation Indicator(s) on waste (?) CSI 018 Use of freshwater resources CSI 018 Use of freshwater resources Indicator(s) on freshwater (?) CSI 028 Total energy consumption CSI 029 Primary energy consumption by fuel Indicator(s) on marine & coasts (?) Indicator(s) on energy (?) CSI 031 Renewable electricity CSI 036 Freight transport demand Indicator(s) on transport (?) CSI 033 Aquaculture production Indicator(s) on maritime activities (?) CSI 026 Area under organic farming Indicator(s) on agriculture (?) Ideally the selection of indicators highlighted in thematic fiches in Part B and in cross-country comparison fiches in Part C will be consistent. The final selection of indicators will thus be carried out in conjunction with EEA thematic experts and indicator managers. II. Cross-country comparison methodology - the methodology used to compare countries is indicator dependent, thus a range of methodologies will be used including assessment of relative performance, distance to target and performance over time. All these approaches are currently used 9 The choice of Part C indicators should be consistent with outcomes of the on-going EEA indicator review and CSI refresh. 10 See Table 2.4 of the document Lessons learned and recommendations from SENSE-2 Page 28 of 55

29 in EEA indicator assessments. The cross-country comparison will be presented using an approach and legend similar to that used in the SOER 2010 Synthesis and Indicator Report A mechanism for adding a country perspective/interpretation to the cross-country comparison fiches will be developed for example by extending the fiche s SOER 2015 Online presentation with options to complement the European analysis with country information. This can be done, for example, by (1) providing no comments; (2) a country interpretation only or (3) a country interpretation and link to the national indicator via SENSE (or another mechanism). Decisions are still required on whether the SOER 2015 Online links to outside information or this information feeds in; and how country perspectives can be represented in an offline version. The proposed list of indicators, methodological approach for comparison and mechanism for adding a country perspective will be shared / discussed with NRC-SOE and presented to the October NFP/Eionet meeting for final agreement Part C - Country fiches Part C - Cross-country comparison fiches Jul Aug Sep Draft templates and guidance Draft list of indicators and methodology Oct NRC-SOE/NFP feedback & agreement NRC-SOE/NFP feedback & agreement Nov Final templates and guidance Final list of indicators and methodology Dec Drafting of country fiches (countries) Drafting cross- country comparison (EEA) 2014 Part C - Country fiches Part C - Cross-country comparison fiches Jan Drafting of country fiches (countries) Drafting cross- country comparison (EEA) Feb Drafting of country fiches (countries) EEA Internal QA Mar Draft country fiches sent to EEA Eionet consultation Apr EEA review and editing of country fiches Eionet consultation & NFP/NRC-SOE discussion May EEA review and editing of country fiches Country interpretation & link to SENSE Jun Final country fiches (countries to EEA) Final draft cross-country comparison Jul Prepare for publication on SOER 2015 Online Prepare for publication on SOER 2015 Online Aug Sep Oct Nov Final update of information where necessary Dec 2015 Part C - Country fiches Part C - Cross-country comparison fiches Jan Launch / publication throughout 2015 Publication Page 29 of 55

30 6 SOER 2015 Online 6.1 Overall approach SOER 2015 Online is a web-based platform, which brings together SOER 2015 s many components to provide a coherent and integrated account of Europe s environment. SOER 2015 Online will take the user from a narrative overview to EEA indicators in an accessible and guided manner. A key added value of this online platform with regard to the SOER 2015 In Print will be the interconnectivity between the Synthesis, Part A, Part B and Part C, enabling users to move seamlessly between EEA s, country and thematic information (with a unique visual identity). In addition, the information presented in SOER 2015 can be shown in a mobile application (or app ). Textual content for all parts of SOER 2015 Online will be identical to that in the printed reports; therefore content should be created with both in mind. SOER 2015 Online - and - SOE Online SOER 2015 Online primarily deals with the presentation of the related information, including references to underlying indicators, graphs, interactive maps and data sets. It will require specific tool support for its development. All content will be static in the sense that no additional information will be added to SOER 2015 Online after the official release, i.e. new versions of any SOER 2015 content will be available as a resource from SOE Online (see below), but not directly from SOER 2015 Online. However, elements of SOER 2015 Online for which updated information is available will be extended with a reference to the respective update. SOE Online is the infrastructure that supports the exchange and management of SOE information using web technologies, of which SOER 2015 Online is one user experience product. It is an online element to provide the underpinning content for environmental reporting and thus also provides a backend to SOER 2015 In Print and SOER 2015 Online. The added value of SOE Online is that it will put in place the foundation for future SOER processes. Note: See Annex I for further definitions. 6.2 Specific objectives As an overall objective, SOER 2015 Online aims to support the fulfilment of the EEA s obligation to produce a regular assessment and to communicate that assessment to a broad audience. This can be broken into three more specific objectives, relating to the integration of EEA work, the profile of EEA outputs, and the impact on audiences and society: To deploy the EEA flagship product in a way that provides multiple ways for users to access and explore content of SOER 2015 components in an integrated and non-linear manner on-line. To enable access to supporting content and the broader EEA knowledge base, including interactive maps and graphics, and indicator updates. To raise the profile of and awareness about SOER 2015, its content and its relationship to EEA work. Page 30 of 55

31 6.3 Target audiences The online platform will boost SOER 2015 s accessibility beyond the priority audiences of the individual parts, enabling the EEA to reach some of the second tier target groups, such as environmental journalists, academia and students, environmental NGOs, etc. The web element can make SOER inclusive and will also include a broad motivated public. The online platform will also enable the key audiences that were already identified for the different parts of SOER 2015 to move from the elements targeted at them to other areas of SOER 2015 and deeper into the EEA knowledge base, i.e. also to indicators, graphs, interactive maps and underlying data sets. 6.4 Deliverables In line with the objectives, the SOER 2015 Online platform will provide users with an easily accessible, coherent web experience. It will be situated within the EEA website alongside the rest of the EEA s knowledge base but will have a distinctive branding, ensuring that the user knows at all times they are dealing with SOER information and can move easily to other elements of SOER The SOER 2015 Online platform will have a primary entry point a page providing a short introduction to the report and a table of contents. The fiches of parts A, B and C are fully integrated into the EEA content management system to the extent that we will use a template approach in a fiche management system for GMT fiches, thematic fiches and country fiches (the software components will be based on the existing indicator management system and article templates). The fiches will be searchable like any other content on the website. The fiches that make up SOER 2015 will be branded with a specific look and feel for the SOER 2015 Online platform. In addition to the user experience components, the SOER 2015 Online content will as far as possible also be available for third-parties to embed parts into their own web presence as desired (i.e. using an Resource Description Framework (RDF)). Cross-referencing: The content in each individual fiche will only link to other SOER 2015 fiches. The fiches will contain meta-data facilitating dynamic linkages from/to the rest of the EEA portal. This includes links to indicators, data sets and visualisations. Note: Where indicators within fiches are updated after the launch they will likewise be available on the indicator part of the website via links from the SOER 2015 pages. In contrast to an approach based on updating the SOER 2015 pages when new data and content become available, this approach enables users to access the latest information where available, while preserving the coherence of the products released at the start of The templates and processes for gathering and drafting content across Parts A, B and C should be designed in a way that supports a web presentation of the content. In addition, the web templates which will be populated with SOER 2015 content should be designed so as to match the needs of print and web concurrently (by using an online fiche management system ). Page 31 of 55

32 The Synthesis will be treated as a report published as HTML, PDF, and e-book as in In addition, EEA will consider developing a five minute animation, accessible from the SOER 2015 Online homepage, to convey the key messages from the Synthesis. A dedicated SOER 2015 Fiche Management System To facilitate the work on the production of fiches and integration with the IMS, the EEA Content Management System (CMS) will be extended with a Fiche Management System (FMS). The FMS will allow authorised EEA users to create fiches, group them by topics and sort them into an online publication (Part A, B or C report). Fiches will go through a defined set of states, so called workflow, managed by the Fiches Content Editor. Once all fiches are ready, they will be set for Eionet review. From the FMS we will feed the content to the publication system as shown in the dataflow diagram below: Fiche Management System Web site Raw Text Raw E-book InDesign layout tool E-book layout PDF Paper E-book Key features of this Fiche Management System include: Content versioning and track changes: All content editing is saved in separate version. This allows editors to have fullcontrol on the editing process, see difference between revisions and rollback to previous revisions if necessary. Prevent concurrent writing, automatic locking and unlocking: If content is already under editing from a user, the system will show a warning and lock the item for editing with possibility to unlock. Export to E-book: The system will know the sequence of fiches in a publication and can then generate an E-book including a table of content. The SOER 2015 Online platform will be accessible from and optimised for mobile devices. The elements that are presented in the SOER 2015 Online platform should all be packaged in format suitable to the browsing on such devices. Any product meeting this description will be regarded and developed as a derivative to the overall SOER 2015 Online presentation. 6.5 Information sources SOER 2015 Online uses the content of Parts A, B and C and the Synthesis. This content is based on multiple information sources in the form of indicators and data sets, which can be accessed by users. The content is further enhanced by interactive graphics and maps which use the same information. Internet technology, as used in SOER 2015 Online, makes it possible to navigate and consume all of this content seamlessly. Page 32 of 55