2. USER NEEDS AND POLITICAL DEMANDS
ESEA Group undertook a comprehensive review of
user needs at community and national level.
Understanding these needs involves the identification of
a long-term political vision on specific information
requirements and develop data sets to meet this demand.
In practice, the uses are numerous and require specific
data availability. Political trends that are interested in
environmental accounts information are, as it follows:
• Policy is focused mainly on the problem
requiring long-term care in which, of a great
importance is the supervision of changes in
structure (e.g. use of energy and climate,
transport, non-renewable resources)
• policies tend to use indicators on the
environment as objectives in certain areas
(biodiversity, water quality), hence the need for
the integrated data sets that link the economic,
environmental pressures, environmental status
• concepts of dissociation, eco efficiency and
resource productivity, are subjects of great
importance
• New political fields that are oriented on
products are evaluating integrated product
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policy, international trade and analyzing the
impacts of chemicals policy
• Much attention is given to issues concerning the
impact of transport, waste management and use
of natural resources on the role of economic
development and structural changes
Analysis of synthetic results and indicators of data
sets allows the evaluation of policies and a better
interpretation of the indicators and their potential use. A
better informing is needed over structures, especially if
we want to understand better the differences concerning
levels and trends in all countries. Although primary
information are incomplete now, environmental
accounting is useful because it provides a framework of
evaluation procedures for the missing data, based on
other sources. Users give now a greater importance to
the analysis and application of environmental accounts
when it comes to shaping and determining the forecasts,
preparing political projects and implementing them,
noticing their impact. Some countries have governmental
commissions, advisory or consultative bodies that
contribute to the development of environmental
accounting, facilitates users exchange and it is a source
of official request for environmental accounts. A
proactive approach towards users is essential in a context
of environmental accounts. User groups shows relatively
different needs that need to be taken into account in
communication. Therefore, there are required products
as in response to the needs of different user groups.
7. RECOMANDATIONS FOR AN
ENVIROMENTAL ACCOUNTING STRATEGY
AT AN EU SCALE
By creating an environmental accounting at a
community scale, Eurostat began to standardize
collecting data on different areas. It was agreed on the
capitalization and establishing a working program that
can ensure regulated and on time production of some
environmental module accounts. The environment is a
very complex domain. Providing relevant information
involves the use of data sets