Hydrogeological disasters in Slovenia account for over 150 million euros of damage a year. And they are often worsened by human interventions. Especially because the country has tolerated construction in flood-prone areas for several decades.

Seven out of eight audited EU countries "have not effectively implemented" a decade-old directive on air quality rules, according to a report published at the end of January.

Soil has a sensitive and crucial role to play, but is increasingly under threat: besides erosion and pollution, artificial covering is on the rise in many areas of Europe. There is still a chance, however, to reduce land take.

Renewable energy continues to grow in Europe, but increasingly slowly. Certain EU states may find it difficult to keep their 2020 commitments.

A German commission recommends phasing out coal power over the next 19 years – which will provide additional arguments to build the controversial Nord Stream 2 pipeline from Russia, which both the European Commission and the US have reservations about.

Increasing amounts of plastic pollution have been detected in Europe's most northern Arctic regions, but the overwhelming majority of litter stems from other parts of the world.

In the collective imagination, bears are one of the wild animals with which humanity has struggled the most over the course of history. After virtual extermination, the reintroduction of bears in a number of European countries is arousing enthusiasm as well as perplexity.