Effectively monitoring EU resource efficiency requires knowledge on the progress and achievements in the 27 EU member states. The project will compile country profiles for all 27 member states and undertake a EU summary analysis. Investigations will integrate literature review and indicator trend analysis.

Increasing resource efficiency (RE) is a key element of EU strategies, which aim to shift the EU towards a resource-efficient, low-carbon economy. In order to reach this target, several environmental policy areas must be promoted, including:

1. Using market based instruments,

• in particular shifting taxation from "goods" (labour) to "bads" (environmental impacts);
• "mainstreaming" environmental considerations into budgets and funds;
• phasing out environmentally harmful subsidies;

2. Improving implementation in the fields of waste management and air quality,            

3. Providing support to SMEs to help them improve eco-innovations and foster efforts in resource efficiency and sustainable use of raw materials.

Against this background, the objective of this study is to support the European Commission in analysing the performance of EU Member States on these issues in the framework of the 2013 European Semester.
To this end, the study will analyse both achievements and progress over 2011 and 2012 in the 27 EU Member States and compile country reports for all 27 EU Member States. Analyses will build on literature review, indicator trend analysis and national expertise through national experts' reviews.

Ecologic Institut will undertake the country profiles for Austria, Denmark, Estonia, Germany, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia and Spain. Furthermore, Ecologic Institut will lead on the indicator trend analysis on the European level.