Eurostat

Fertilisers contain important nutrients, such as nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P), which plants absorb from the soil for their growth. With the harvest of crops for human and livestock consumption and industrial uses, N and P is removed from the soil. Continuing agricultural production without fertilisation could lead to soil degradation and erosion. Fertilisers are therefore essential to sustain agricultural production. Fertilisers are also used to improve crop yields and soils. The use of manufactured fertilizers as a regular farming practice began in most European countries in the mid to late nineteenth century but the greatest increase in consumption in these countries occurred in the three decades following World War II. The manufacturing of fertilisers greatly enhanced crop yields and agricultural production, and aided the large increase in the world population in the 20th Century. However when the amount of fertiliser applied exceeds the plants' nutritional requirements, there is a greater risk of nutrient losses from agricultural soils into ground and surface water. The resulting higher concentration of nutrients (eutrophication) can cause serious degradation of ecosystems. With the storage and application to the land of manufactured fertilisers, Nitrogen can volatilise into the air as ammonia contributing to acidification, eutrophication and atmospheric particulate pollution, and nitrous oxides, a potent greenhouse gas contributing to climate change.  In addition fertilisers may also have adverse environmental effects resulting from their production processes. More specifically, nitrogenous fertilisers require large amounts of energy to be produced leading potentially to higher levels of greenhouse gas emissions. In a different way, phosphorus fertilisers also have an environmental impact, since the raw materials used to produce them are mined, therefore potentially leading to landscape destruction, water contamination, excessive water consumption or air pollution. This table contains data on the total use of manufactured fertilisers expressed in tonnes of N and tonnes of P received from the countries. Manufactured fertilisers are also often referred to as inorganic fertilisers or mineral fertilisers. For a definition see 3.4.

Harmonised risk indicators are established in order to measure the progress achieved in meeting the objectives of the Directive 2009/128/EC on the sustainable use of pesticides. The data set shows the values of the Harmonised risk indicator 1 (HRI1), established in Commission Directive (EU) 2019/782 of 15 May 2019, amending Directive 2009/128/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards the establishment of harmonised risk indicators. The indicator is presented as indices relative to a baseline of 100 (see section 3.9). Harmonised risk indicator 1 is based on statistics on the quantity of active substances placed on the market in plant protection products under Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009, provided to Eurostat under Annex I of Regulation (EC) No 1185/2009 on statistics on pesticides. Those data are categorised into 4 Groups and multiplied by weightings established in Commission Directive (EU) 2019/782, followed by aggregation of the results of those calculations. The Member States and the Commission shall calculate and publish the Harmonised risk indicator in accordance with Articles 15(2) and 15(4) of Directive 2009/128/EC for each calendar year. The results of the calculations are available at the latest 20 months after the reference year on the following website: https://ec.europa.eu/food/plant/pesticides/sustainable_use_pesticides/harmonised-risk-indicators_en Eurostat calculates the EU-level indicator. Eurostat also calculates the national Harmonised risk indicator on behalf of Member States as a service. Member States make the information available to the public before 30 August each year. 

Regulation (EC) No 1185/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council, of 25 November 2009, concerning statistics on pesticides, stipulates that Member States shall transmit their annual sales of pesticides placed on the market from 2011 onwards.

6.1. Reference area

Volume of pesticides sold in the Member States. This data collection comprises pesticide sales data in EU27 (from 2020) and EFTA (Switzerland and Norway) based on the term "placing on the market" as defined in Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 October 2009 concerning the placing of plant protection products on the market..

Annual data on quantities for crude oil, petroleum products, natural gas and manufactures gases, electricity and derived heat, solid fossil fuels, renewables and wastes covering the full spectrum of the energy sector from supply through transformation to final consumption by sector and fuel type (commodity balance). Annual data collection cover in principle the EU Member States, EFTA, EU candidate countries, and potential candidate countries. Time series starts mostly in year 1990.