ANNUAL REPORT 2022 | 29 ENVIRONMENT “Nature is an important ally in the fight against climate change.’’ —EU Green Deal The EU strategy for the environment and sustainable development is a framework for a long-term vision of sustainable development, where economic growth, social cohesion and environmental protection go hand in hand and are mutually supporting. To face these new challenges, the European Commission announced, in December 2019, the “European Green Deal” which is a set of policy initiatives with the overarching aim of making Europe climate neutral in 2050. An impact assessment plan will also be presented to increase the EU’s greenhouse gas emission reduction target for 2030.The substantial contribution to the implementation of such policy is one of the key objectives of the SGL. The European Commission’s 8th EU Environmental Action Programme (EAP) following the 7th EAP (2012-2020) will support the environment and climate action objectives of the European Green Deal until 2030. During 2022 the SGL contributed significantly to pollution prevention and effective treatment, having developed 21 control-monitoring-surveillance programmes that meet the EU environmental legislation and enable the early identification of accidental or malicious contamination. Surveillance and control are carried out based on annual and multiannual programmes, in cooperation with the competent authorities, in the areas of Water, Effluents and Atmospheric Air. It has a unique infrastructure to cover chemical, microbiological, biological, eco-toxicological and radiological aspects of environmental monitoring and pollution control of water as well as human biomonitoring to detect the environmental impact to human health. Seven specialised laboratories provide a wide range of highly sophisticated analytical services, which keep abreast with the latest worldwide scientific and technological trends. The SGL, as a vital supporting service of the environmental authorities, utilises its state-of-the-art infrastructure and expertise aiming at the following: y Continuous support, development and implementation of the environmental policy and legislation by providing reliable laboratory results and expertise. y Development of effective mechanisms for the early detection of pollution. The ultimate goal is to contribute to the prevention and the long-term safety and sustainability of the water resources. y Investigation of the links between environment and health and, in particular, the effects of pollution on health, which aim at the prevention and reduction of potential health hazards originating from environmental factors, as well as the support of political decisions. Emphasis is also given to the quality of indoor air and the effects of toxic substances on children. In addition, human biomonitoring is being developed in order to investigate the real levels of toxic substances in the human body. y Furthermore, new programmes are being developed that focus on new potentially dangerous substances and emerging hazards such as pharmaceuticals in waste water.
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