Member States provide an annual assessment of air quality in comparison to EU air quality thresholds. Commission Decision 2004/461/EC provides a questionnaire to be used by the Member States for the annual reporting under the Framework Directive and the related four Daughter Directives 1999/30/EC, 2000/69/EC, 2002/3/EC and 2004/107/EC. Member States have to divide their entire territory into zones. Zones can be regarded as the primary territorial units for assessment and management of air quality under the air quality directives. Consequently, unambiguous definition of all zones is needed. Member States have employed different approaches for the definition of their zones. Some Member States have divided their territory into a single set of zones serving all pollutants. Other Member States have defined a single base set of zones and modified some of the zones for the application to particular pollutants. Where a Member State has distinguished different sets of zones in relation to health protection and ecosystem/vegetation protection respectively, a single location can be situated in several zones, e.g. in a zone defined for all pollutants except lead and in another, larger zone defined for lead. More information about EU air quality standards is available on the DG Environment web site at http://ec.europa.eu/environment/air/quality/standards.htm. Pursuant to Article 22 of Directive 2008/50/EC, Member States may notify to the Commission when in their opinion the conditions are met in a given zone or agglomeration for postponing the attainment deadline for the limit values for nitrogen dioxide and benzene, or for being exempt from the limit values for PM10. More information is available at: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/air/quality/legislation/time_extensions.htm . Additional information is available in The annual technical overview and analysis of the reports submitted by Member States (http://acm.eionet.europa.eu/databases/aq-questionnaire/annual_reports_aqq.html). Zones are designated for the following pollutants: B – Benzene; BaP – Benzo(a)pyrene; C – Carbon Monoxide; L – lead; AsCdNi – Heavy metals: Arsenic, Cadmium, Nickel; NH – Nitrogen Dioxide for human protection; NV – NOx for vegetation protection; O – ozone; PM10 – particulate matter less than 10 microgrammes; PM25 – particulate matter less than 2.5 microgrammes; SE – SO2 for ecosystems protection; SH – SO2 for human protection. ************ In this revision 2, Montenegro was added to the SE and NV datasets. ************

The data set aims to contribute to a better biological characterization of terrestrial ecosystems across Europe (EEA-39). As such it represents probabilities of EUNIS (EUropean Nature Information System) habitat presence at Level 2 (this corresponds to EUNIS level 3 for marine habitats). The map combines spatially explicit data on land cover information with non-spatially referenced habitat information of the EUNIS classification. The objective of the data set produced by EEA and its Topic Centre ETC/BD is to improve the biological description of land based ecosystem types and their spatial distribution across Europe. Since it is partly based on non-spatial explicit mapping the spatial and thematic accuracy is not of same quality as delineated maps. For terrestrial habitats the geometric and thematic accuracy is estimated in the reliability map 2012 v3.1 as secondary product. The work supports Target 2 Action 5 of the implementation of the EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020, established to achieve the Aichi targets of the Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD). It further ad-dresses the MAES process (Mapping and Assessing of Ecosystems and their Services). The MAES ecosystem typology differentiates three levels and with certain differences follows the EUNIS classification: whereas MAES level 2 the proposal corresponds to EUNIS level 1, MAES level 3 follows closely the EUNIS level 2. A representation of MAES level 2 is contained in the reliability map as secondary product.

Member States provide an annual assessment of air quality in comparison to EU air quality thresholds. Commission Decision 2004/461/EC provides a questionnaire to be used by the Member States for the annual reporting under the Framework Directive and the related four Daughter Directives 1999/30/EC, 2000/69/EC, 2002/3/EC and 2004/107/EC. Member States have to divide their entire territory into zones. Zones can be regarded as the primary territorial units for assessment and management of air quality under the air quality directives. Consequently, unambiguous definition of all zones is needed. Member States have employed different approaches for the definition of their zones. Some Member States have divided their territory into a single set of zones serving all pollutants. Other Member States have defined a single base set of zones and modified some of the zones for the application to particular pollutants. Where a Member State has distinguished different sets of zones in relation to health protection and ecosystem/vegetation protection respectively, a single location can be situated in several zones, e.g. in a zone defined for all pollutants except lead and in another, larger zone defined for lead. More information about EU air quality standards is available on the DG Environment web site at http://ec.europa.eu/environment/air/quality/standards.htm. Pursuant to Article 22 of Directive 2008/50/EC, Member States may notify to the Commission when in their opinion the conditions are met in a given zone or agglomeration for postponing the attainment deadline for the limit values for nitrogen dioxide and benzene, or for being exempt from the limit values for PM10. More information is available at: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/air/quality/legislation/time_extensions.htm . Additional information is available in The annual technical overview and analysis of the reports submitted by Member States (http://acm.eionet.europa.eu/databases/aq-questionnaire/annual_reports_aqq.html). Zones are designated for the following pollutants: B – Benzene; BaP – Benzo(a)pyrene; C – Carbon Monoxide; L – lead; AsCdNi – Heavy metals: Arsenic, Cadmium, Nickel; NH – Nitrogen Dioxide for human protection; NV – NOx for vegetation protection; O – ozone; PM10 – particulate matter less than 10 microgrammes; PM25 – particulate matter less than 2.5 microgrammes; SE – SO2 for ecosystems protection; SH – SO2 for human protection.

This raster dataset presents the ecosystem wetlands extent in 2012 in Europe. It includes 20 wetland classes which, besides inland and coastal wetlands, includes transitional ecosystems corresponding to wetlands such as riparian forests, wet grasslands, estuaries, or rice fields. A great diversity of wetlands exists making the definition of a wetland ecosystem both challenging and controversial. The development of an extended wetland ecosystem layer is an explicit policy request in Europe which builds on an ecosystem-based justification of an inclusive definition, delimitation and delineation of wetlands, looking at the “hydro-ecological” boundaries of this ecosystem (including their wetness and flow characteristics).

The data set combines the Corine based MAES (Mapping and Assessment of Ecosystems and their Services) ecosystem classes with the non-spatial EUNIS habitat classification for a better biological characterization of ecosystems across Europe (EEA-39). As such it represents probabilities of EUNIS habitat presence for each MAES ecosystem type. The data set aims to combine spatially explicit land cover information with non-spatially referenced habitat information to improve our knowledge about ecosystems and their distribution across Europe. The work supports the MAES process, Target 2 Action 5 of the implementation of the EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020, established to achieve the Aichi targets of the Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD). The objective of the ecosystem data set produced by EEA and its Topic Centre ETC/SIA was to improve the biological description of land cover based ecosystem types. It represents probabilities of EUNIS habitat presence in ecosystem types at European level. Since it is not based on spatial explicit mapping the spatial and thematic accuracy is not of same quality as delineated maps. The MAES ecosystem typology differentiates three levels: whereas the level 2 of the MAES proposal follows closely the EUNIS level 1, the third level of the MAES typology corresponds to the EUNIS level 2. This level will be the base for the mapping approach.

The data set combines the Corine based MAES (Mapping and Assessment of Ecosystems and their Services) ecosystem classes with the non-spatial EUNIS habitat classification (LEVEL 1) for a better biological characterization of ecosystems across Europe (EEA-39). As such it represents probabilities of EUNIS habitat presence for each MAES ecosystem type. The data set aims to combine spatially explicit land cover information with non-spatially referenced habitat information to improve our knowledge about ecosystems and their distribution across Europe. The work supports the MAES process, Target 2 Action 5 of the implementation of the EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020, established to achieve the Aichi targets of the Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD). The objective of the ecosystem data set produced by EEA and its Topic Centre ETC/SIA was to improve the biological description of land cover based ecosystem types. It represents probabilities of EUNIS habitat presence in ecosystem types at European level. Since it is not based on spatial explicit mapping the spatial and thematic accuracy is not of same quality as delineated maps. The MAES ecosystem typology differentiates three levels: whereas the level 2 of the MAES proposal follows closely the EUNIS level 1, the third level of the MAES typology corresponds to the EUNIS level 2. This level will be the base for the mapping approach.

The data set combines the Corine based MAES (Mapping and Assessment of Ecosystems and their Services) ecosystem classes with the non-spatial EUNIS habitat classification (LEVEL 1) for a better biological characterization of ecosystems across Europe (EEA-39). As such it represents probabilities of EUNIS habitat presence for each MAES ecosystem type. The data set aims to combine spatially explicit land cover information with non-spatially referenced habitat information to improve our knowledge about ecosystems and their distribution across Europe. The work supports the MAES process, Target 2 Action 5 of the implementation of the EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020, established to achieve the Aichi targets of the Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD). The objective of the ecosystem data set produced by EEA and its Topic Centre ETC/SIA was to improve the biological description of land cover based ecosystem types. It represents probabilities of EUNIS habitat presence in ecosystem types at European level. Since it is not based on spatial explicit mapping the spatial and thematic accuracy is not of same quality as delineated maps. The MAES ecosystem typology differentiates three levels: whereas the level 2 of the MAES proposal follows closely the EUNIS level 1, the third level of the MAES typology corresponds to the EUNIS level 2. This level will be the base for the mapping approach.

The spatial extent of the MPA assessment areas was defined as the marine waters surrounding the EU countries whose outer limit is defined by the 200 NM boundary from the coast (possibly coinciding with formally recognised EEZ boundaries) or the equidistance (in cases of opposite neighbouring EU countries), or by the presence of a boundary defined by an agreed treaty. Given no formal boundary of this map exists and since this limit coincides with the boundary of the maritime area (water column) submitted by EU Member States under MSFD, this dataset was based on a MSFD Region/Subregion boundary shapefile assembled in 2013 by ETC/ICM integrated with the Maritime Boundaries (version 7) from the Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ). This dataset has been used to create the map that shows the percentage marine protected area (MPA) coverage in Europe's regional seas and also the distance to the Convention on Biological Diversity Aichi target 11.

The data set combines the Corine based MAES (Mapping and Assessment of Ecosystems and their Services) ecosystem classes with the non-spatial EUNIS habitat classification (LEVEL 2) for a better biological characterization of ecosystems across Europe (EEA-39). As such it represents probabilities of EUNIS habitat presence for each MAES ecosystem type. The data set aims to combine spatially explicit land cover information with non-spatially referenced habitat information to improve our knowledge about ecosystems and their distribution across Europe. The work supports the MAES process, Target 2 Action 5 of the implementation of the EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020, established to achieve the Aichi targets of the Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD). The objective of the ecosystem data set produced by EEA and its Topic Centre ETC/SIA was to improve the biological description of land cover based ecosystem types. It represents probabilities of EUNIS habitat presence in ecosystem types at European level. Since it is not based on spatial explicit mapping the spatial and thematic accuracy is not of same quality as delineated maps. The MAES ecosystem typology differentiates three levels: whereas the level 2 of the MAES proposal follows closely the EUNIS level 1, the third level of the MAES typology corresponds to the EUNIS level 2. This level will be the base for the mapping approach.

The spatial extent of the MPA assessment areas was defined as the marine waters surrounding the EU countries whose outer limit is defined by the 200 NM boundary from the coast (possibly coinciding with formally recognised EEZ boundaries) or the equidistance (in cases of opposite neighbouring EU countries), or by the presence of a boundary defined by an agreed treaty. Given no formal boundary of this map exists and since this limit coincides with the boundary of the maritime area (water column) submitted by EU Member States under MSFD, this new version (version 2.0) of this dataset is based on a MSFD Region/Subregion boundary shapefile assembled in 2020 by ETC/ICM harmonised with the Coastline and European Seas layers. This dataset has been used to create the MPA buffer zones (version 2) and to show the percentage of marine protected area (MPA) coverage in Europe's regional seas.