Objectives, intended users and context of this report

Climate change is a reality. Impacts vary across Europe depending on climate, geographic and socioeconomic conditions. All the countries are exposed to climate change and this is expected to increase in future (IPCC, 2013; IPCC 2014). Climate change projected effects are serious and potentially very costly for European countries and their citizens, businesses, regions and cities. However, some are more at risk than others (EC, 2013a).

A major challenge for public policy will be to adapt our economy and society to the effects of climate change, and even take advantage of the opportunities it presents. Fortunately, adaptation responses are possible and some are already being implemented across Europe.

In European countries, all levels of governance are progressing in planning and implementing adaptation. In April 2014, 20 European countries have adopted national adaptation strategies (13 more than in 2008) and 17 have developed a national action plan to further define actions for implementation. In April 2013, the European Commission adopted a Communication on an EU Strategy on Adaptation to Climate Change (EC, 2013) to contribute to a more climate-resilient Europe with the first of its eight actions relating to encourage all Member States to adopt comprehensive adaptation strategies¹.

The objective for this report is to provide up-to-date, reliable and targeted information to support the development and implementation of adaptation policies and decision-making across all levels of governance in Europe². European countries are eager to learn from each other. The EEA therefore saw an opportunity to facilitate this learning and further strengthen the knowledge base by sharing experiences, lessons learned and good practices in adaptation. By expanding the knowledge base for policy development and implementation, it is hoped that this report will inform decision-making processes across Europe and stimulate long-term transitions³ and systemic change towards a resilient Europe⁴.

This report is based on a survey that was carried out as an online self-assessment. In the self-assessment, authorities in European countries responsible for coordinating adaptation at national level were invited to provide information on adaptation activities across a broad range of topics. The survey was sent out by the EEA to its 32 member countries in May 2013 (and to Croatia in July 2013) and 30 EEA member countries provided, on a voluntary basis, their responses. The findings from the self-assessment survey reflects the views of authorities responsible for coordinating adaptation at national level.

Thanks to the high response rate from European countries this report presents a unique collection of information and the most comprehensive overview of adaptation policy processes in Europe to date. It aims primarily to inform and support the work of policymakers and practitioners who are developing, coordinating or implementing adaptation policies across or within particular sectors. It is therefore of particular relevance to national, regional and local authorities, but is also of interest to utilities (e.g. water, energy, transport) and to other private stakeholders involved in adaptation actions.

This overview of information complements the information available on the European Climate Adaptation Platform (Climate-ADAPT; http://climate-adapt.eea.europa.eu/) and those available at national level. It also builds on recently published EEA reports on Adaptation in Europe (EEA, 2013), Climate change, impacts and vulnerability in Europe — An indicator-based report (EEA, 2012b) and Urban adaptation to climate change in Europe(EEA, 2012a), which provided the scientific and analytical background information on climate change risks across European regions as well as the policymaking and empirical perspective on adaptation.

[1] Action 1 on promoting action by Member States. Further information about the EU Strategy on Adaptation to Climate Change is available at http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:52013DC0216&from=EN

[2] This report includes a Glossary that gives the definition of key terms used.

[3] The key goals of EEA’s multiannual work programme 2014-2018 are (1) To be the prime source of knowledge at European level informing the implementation of European and national environment and climate policies; (2) To be a leading knowledge centre on the knowledge needed to support long term transition challenges and objectives; and (3) To be the lead organisation at European level facilitating knowledge-sharing and capacity -building in the field of environment and climate change.

[4] The EU 7th Environment Action Programme’s 2050 vision ‘to live well within the planet's ecological limits’ can be accessed at http://ec.europa.eu/environment/newprg/index.htm.