Home > Statistics > Public sector environmental protection expenditure > Concepts and definitions

Concepts and definitions

Agri-environmental aid (subsidy)

Agri-environmental aid is an environmental subsidy system funded by the government and the EU for reducing environmental burdening from agriculture, and promoting biodiversity and taking care of the cultivated landscape. The aid is mainly granted to crop growers and compensates the environmental protection expenditure they incur.

Environment

The concept of environment refers to the physical, social and cultural factors that are present in the natural or built environment and with which humans have an interactive relationship. The environment is perceived above all as the human living environment on the state and quality of which human activity has a positive or negative impact.

Environmental protection

Activity aimed at looking after the environment and protecting it from environmental harm caused by human activity. Environmental protection includes actions taken by society, enterprises and ordinary people in order to preserve the soundness and pleasantness of the human living environment.

Environmental protection expenditure

Environmental protection expenditure of the public sector refers to the sum of the operating costs and investments arising from environmental protection measures, and paid investment and other subsidies.

Environmental protection investments

Environmental protection investments refer to the capital an enterprise spends on the environmental protection measures whose primary aim is to collect, process, reduce, prevent or eliminate the emissions, waste or other environmental hazard caused by its activities.

Waste management

Organised activity for the purpose of collection, transport, recovery and final treatment or disposal or waste. Activities aimed at the prevention of waste generation are also regarded as waste management.