EU directs €79 billion to environmental protection in 2025

Member states of the European Union allocated €79 billion to environmental‑protection assets in 2025, equivalent to 0.4 % of the bloc’s gross domestic product and 1.9 % of total investment across the economy. The largest share went to wastewater‑treatment projects (37.7 % of the spending), followed by waste‑management initiatives (27.3 %) and air‑and‑climate protection measures (11.2 %).

Corporate entities were the main financiers, contributing €49.6 billion – 62.7 % of the total – for technologies and equipment that lower the environmental impact of production, such as emissions‑reduction gear, treatment plants and waste‑transport vehicles. Public administrations and non‑profit organisations accounted for the remaining 37.3 % of the investment. Across the EU, environmental spending has risen about 60 % since 2014 while staying roughly steady at 2‑2.2 % of GDP. Individual countries vary: Austria and Belgium invest around 3 % of GDP, Slovenia 2.6 %, Italy 2.5 %, while Croatia trails the EU average at 1.7 % of GDP.