Resource-efficient green economy and EU policies

The report addresses the transition towards a green economy in Europe. It highlight the macro‑level trends towards a green economy emerging from the policy framework and the major transformation of the EU economy over recent decades. Ddifferent concepts and definitions of the green economy are discussed. In addition, a brief history of the emergence of the concept of a green economy in the wake of the financial crisis is given. The EU policy landscape, focusing on different EU policy initiatives that promote the green economy, is analysed. Recent developments and progress in achieving environmental policy targets are studied. The changing structure of the EU's economy in terms of environmental pressures, and the extent to which manufacturing, services, and trade can play a role, are analysed. Given the combination of policy pushes and macro‑level transformations of the economy, key enabling factors that can help to promote or hasten the development of a green economy are considered (eco‑innovation diffusion, the international transfer of green knowledge, the role of environmental fiscal reforms and economic instruments, and role of finance).