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The draft EU Regulation on Environmental Economic Accounts, to be formally approved by the European Council before it becomes law, aims to make it easier to compare data on air emissions, material flows and environmental taxes across member states. Further issues, such as use of water and forest resources, may be added in the future.
MEPs also adopted a non-binding resolution on the European Commission's Communication "GDP and Beyond: Measuring Progress in a Changing World". This proposes stepping up efforts to complement GDP with statistics covering other economic, social and environmental issues to help improve policy making and address the failure of GDP to accurately gauge progress in tackling issues such as climate change and resource efficiency.
To help develop indicators and improve monitoring and reporting of environmental data, the Commission is developing an index for environmental pressures covering climate change and energy use, nature and biodiversity, air pollution and health impacts, water use and pollution, and waste generation and resource use.
The need for measures of economic progress to more fully account for the role of natural capital in economic growth, human health and well-being was also highlighted in a Strategy for Green Growth published by the OECD in May.
European Parliament news release
EP resolution on proposed Regulation on Environmental Economic Accounts
European Commission Communication on GDP and beyond: Measuring progress in a changing world
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