On the 10th June to the 2nd July 2000 the European Championships 2000 were co-hosted for the first time ever by Belgium and the Netherlands.

Thousands of people travelled from all over Europe and the world to watch the top class European teams battle it out to be the supreme European champions, but do we really understand what environmental impact the whole occasion had on the planet.

The Stadium Committee of UEFA give very illuminating talks about varying categories and standards of stadia throughout Europe and how the environment is always taken into consideration when these stadia are being build. The impact on the surrounding environment is high on the agenda.

As of 2000, Belgium's most important environmental issues were air, land and water pollution. This was due to the heavy concentration of industrial services in the country.
The main sources of pollution come mainly from nuclear radiation to mercury from industry and pesticides from large agricultural outlets. A large area of the country's water supply is threatened by hazardous levels mercury, and phosphorous. Pollution of rivers and canals were considered the worst in the whole of Europe as of 1970, when strict water protection laws were brought into play.
Air pollution reaches a very dangerous level due to high concentrations of lead and hydrocarbons. Belgium is also among the 50 nations that emit the highest levels of carbon dioxide from industrial sources.

We must always remember how the supporters got to Belgium and the Netherlands, where did they stay, how did the supporters get to and from the venues. What was true impact on the environment?

http://www.euro2000.org/en/tournament/matchstats/0,1074,9662,00.html