The environmental protection activities result essentially from the application of environmental rules and standards. National or European regulations set the minimum level for public authorities to ensure the protection of the environment and its benefits, including in terms of health.
Environmental protection expenditure measures the financial effort that the different agents devote to preventing, reducing or eliminating environmental degradation. It includes the following areas:
- protection of ambient air and climate;
- wastewater management;
- the collection and treatment of waste (including low-level radioactive waste, composting, cleaning and road sweeping);
- protection and remediation of soil, groundwater and surface water;
- the fight against noise and vibrations (excluding the protection of workplaces);
- the protection of biodiversity and landscapes;
- protection against radiation (excluding external security);
- environmental research and development;
- other environmental protection activities, including the general administration and management of the environment.
Resource management and use activities are not included in this expense. Thus, the measures in favor of the control of energy or the development of renewable energies, the activities of recovery, recycling are for example not taken into account in the expenditure of protection of the environment.