Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union

E2: Environmental statistics and accounts; sustainable development

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e-mail contact: ESTAT-CIRCULAR-ECONOMY@ec.europa.eu

The indicator is part of the Circular Economy monitoring framework. It is used to monitor progress towards a circular economy on the thematic area of 'production and consumption'.

Material footprints are very relevant in the current policy context. The Circular Economy Action Plan explicitly calls for metrics of material footprints. The rationale is that the EU has a bigger share of the world consumption/investment than of the world production, because much of the production of goods consumed in Europe is localised in Asia. Material footprints metrics give visibility to the EU responsibility environmental pressures elsewhere as consequence of products exported to the EU.

The indicator quantify the worldwide demand for material extractions (biomass, metal ores, non-metallic minerals and fossil energy materials/carriers) triggered by consumption and investment by households, governments and businesses in the EU.

Raw material consumption indicator (RMC) is a measure of material footprints. It represents the amount of material in terms of Raw materials equivalent (RME) needed (or, the amount of extraction, domestic and abroad, required directly and indirectly) to produce the products consumed in the geoFigureical reference area. It is calculated as Raw material input (RMI) minus exports in RME (calculated at the aggregate product level, by material). The indicator RMC gives insight into the quantity and type of materials required to meet the EU's demand for products.

Tonnes per capita

Calendar year.

The indicator is produced according to the high-level quality standards of European Statistics. Details on accuracy can be found in the metadata of the source datasets (see link in "Related metadata").

ESS

Data source: European Statistical System (ESS)

Data provider: Statistical Office of the European Union (Eurostat).

Material flow accounts in raw material equivalents - modelling estimates (env_ac_rme). 

Material flow accounts in raw material equivalents by final uses of products - modelling estimates (env_ac_rmefd).

Every year

The indicator is updated annually.

• EU data updated once a year, in September
• Country data once a year, in November

T+2 years

EU RME model calculations are usually undertaken in August. Results are usually published in September, 21 months after the end of the last reference year. Country level estimates are published in November after validation of the data collected via the EW-MFA questionnaire and Eurostat estimates at country level have been updated.

All EU MS

Data are presented for all EU Member States.

The EU aggregate is also available.

All EU MS

Data are comparable between all EU Member States.

> 10 years

Data are annual starting with the year 2000, but coverage is limited to EU estimates for the period 2000-2007. Estimates for all Member States are available from 2008 onwards.

> 4 data points

Length of comparable time series without methodological break is longer than 4 data points.

Analysis of indicator is presented in Commission Staff Working Document.

Eurostat, Statistics Explained: Material flow accounts statistics - material footprints 

Eurostat, Statistics Explained: Material flow accounts and resource productivity

Table cei_pc020

Eurostat dedicated section on Circular Economy.

Eurostat dedicated section on Environment.

Eurostat dedicated section on Material flows and resource productivity.

DG ENV, EU Circular Economy Action Plan.