Category: Environmental

Tackling threats posed by chemicals (Stockholm Convention) Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) harm human health and the environment. The Stockholm Convention is based on the precautionary principle and seeks to guarantee the safe elimination of these substances, as well as reductions in their production and use. Council Decision 2006/507/EC of 14 October 2004 concerning the conclusion, […]

EU waste management law Directive 2008/98/EC on waste It establishes a legal framework for treating waste in the EU. This is designed to protect the environment and human health by emphasising the importance of proper waste management, recovery and recycling techniques to reduce pressure on resources and improve their use. KEY POINTS The legislation establishes […]

Packaging and packaging waste Directive 94/62/EC on packaging and packaging waste Directive (EU) 2018/852 amending Directive 94/62/EC on packaging and packaging waste Directive 94/62/EC sets out the EU’s rules on managing packaging and packaging waste. Directive (EU) 2018/852 amends Directive 94/62/EC and contains updated measures designed to: prevent the production of packaging waste, and promote […]

Reduction of pollution caused by waste from the titanium dioxide industry EU legislation on pollution caused by waste from the titanium dioxide industry is now governed by Directive 2010/75(EU) on industrial emissions (integrated pollution prevention and control). Directive 2010/75/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 November 2010 on industrial emissions (integrated […]

United Nations (UN) climate change negotiations — an overview Article 191 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union as it applies to EU participation in UN climate change negotiations THE TREATY ON THE FUNCTIONING OF THE EUROPEAN UNION AND THE UN CLIMATE CHANGE NEGOTIATIONS Article 191 of the Treaty on the Functioning […]

Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer Vienna Convention for the protection of the ozone layer Decision 88/540/EEC on the conclusion of the Vienna Convention for the protection of the ozone layer and the Montreal Protocol on substances that deplete the ozone layer The Vienna Convention on the Protection of the Ozone Layer […]

Reducing man-made greenhouse gases (fluorinated gases) The regulation is designed to mitigate climate change and protect the environment by reducing emissions of fluorinated greenhouse gases (F-gases). It aims to cut these by two thirds of today’s levels by 2030. Regulation (EU) No 517/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 April 2014 […]

Mechanism for monitoring greenhouse gases Regulation (EU) No 525/2013 — mechanism for monitoring and reporting greenhouse gas emissions and other information relevant to climate change This regulation, the Monitoring Mechanism Regulation (MMR), significantly expands and strengthens the previous mechanism for monitoring greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the EU. It aims to enhance the monitoring and […]

Emissions Trading System — Innovation Fund rules Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/856 with regard to the operation of the Innovation Fund The Innovation Fund introduced in Directive 2003/87/EC is designed to support innovative initiatives as part of EU emissions trading system (ETS)*, the EU’s cornerstone policy to tackle climate change by reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.This […]

Moving toward competitive sustainable and secure energy for Europe The European Union (EU) is committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by between 80-95 % below 1990 levels by 2050. It has a clear agenda up to 2020. Now it is setting a new direction for its decarbonisation ambitions for the following 3 decades in […]

Major accidents involving dangerous chemicals Directive 2012/18/EU on the control of major-accident hazards involving dangerous substances It aims to control major accident hazards involving dangerous substances, especially chemicals. This Directive, so-called Seveso-III, amended the previous Seveso-II (Directive 96/82/EC), which, in view of the lessons learned from later accidents such as Bhopal, Toulouse or Enschede, had […]

Marine pollution from ships and gas and oil installations In July 2014, the EU adopted a law which guarantees funding for the work of the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) to fight pollution at sea for the 2014-20 period. Regulation (EU) No 911/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 July 2014 […]

OSPAR Convention Decision 98/249/EC — concluding a convention protecting the marine environment of the North-East Atlantic Convention for the protection of the marine environment of the North-East Atlantic The decision concluded the OSPAR Convention, on behalf of the European Union (EU) — at the time known as the European Community. The OSPAR Convention aims to […]

Single-use plastics ban Directive (EU) 2019/904 — on the reduction of the impact of certain plastic products on the environment It aims to prevent and reduce the impact on the environment of certain plastic products and to promote a transition to a circular economy by introducing a mix of measures tailored to the products covered […]

Making the most of waste electrical and electronic equipment Directive 2012/19/EU on waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) It aims to protect the environment and human health by encouraging sustainable production and consumption. It has applied since 13 August 2012. Directive 2012/19/EU revised and replaced Directive 2002/96/EC and its subsequent amendments. The new rules contained […]

Conservation of wild birds Directive 2009/147/EC on the conservation of wild birds It seeks to conserve all wild birds in the EU by setting out rules for their protection, conservation, management and control. It covers birds, their eggs, nests and habitats. It codifies legislation originally adopted in 1979 (Directive 79/409/EEC). Directive 2009/147/EC was amended in […]

Flood-risk management in the EU Floods are a threat to human health, cultural heritage, the economy and the environment. Here, the EU establishes a framework for assessing, mapping and planning for the reduction of the risk of floods in Europe. This directive aims to establish a framework for measures to reduce the risk of floods […]

Bern Convention Convention on the conservation of European wildlife and natural habitats Decision 88/72/EEC — conclusion of the Convention on the conservation of European wildlife and natural habitats The convention, adopted at Bern on 19 September 1979, aims to promote cooperation between the signatory countries in order to conserve wild flora and fauna and their […]

The EU’s environment agency – environmental information and monitoring Regulation (EC) No 401/2009 – the European Environment Agency and the European Environment Information and Observation Network Regulation (EC) No 401/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 April 2009 on the European Environment Agency and the European Environment Information and Observation Network […]

Ecodesign and energy labelling requirements — household refrigerators Regulation (EU) 2019/2019 laying down ecodesign requirements for refrigerating appliances Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/2016 supplementing Regulation (EU) 2017/1369 with regard to energy labelling of refrigerating appliances Commission Regulation (EU) 2019/2019 establishes ecodesign* requirements for the sale or putting into service of electric mains-operated* refrigerating appliances* with a […]

Ecodesign requirements — welding equipment It sets out ecodesign* requirements for the placing on the market or the putting into service of electrical mains-operated welding equipment. KEY POINTS It lists the welding processes to which the regulation applies and those to which it does not. The ecodesign requirements are set out in Annex II, and […]

Public access to environmental information Directive 2003/4/EC on public access to environmental information It fully adapts European Union (EU) countries’ national laws to the 1998 Aarhus Convention on access to information, public participation and access to justice in environmental matters. It guarantees the public access to environmental information* held by, or for, public authorities*, both […]

Assessment of the certain effects of plans and programmes on the environment (SEA) Directive 2001/42/EC — Strategic Environmental Assessment Directive (SEA) It aims to ensure a high level of environmental protection and that environmental considerations are taken into account when preparing, adopting and implementing plans and programmes. It promotes sustainable development by ensuring that environmental […]

The polluter-pays principle and environmental liability Directive 2004/35/EC on environmental liability with regard to the prevention and remedying of environmental damage It lays down rules based on the polluter-pays principle. This means that a company causing environmental damage is liable for it and must take the necessary preventive or remedial action and bear all the […]

Assessment and management of environmental noise Directive 2002/49/EC on the assessment and management of environmental noise The Environmental Noise Directive (END) aims to: provide a common basis for combating the harmful effects of exposure to environmental noise* across the EU; gradually introduce measures establishing common noise indicators* to measure the long-term exposure of humans to […]