EU Environment Policy

Latest news on the environment policies of the European Union.

Accounting rules and action plans on greenhouse gas emissions and removals resulting from activities related to land use, land use change and forestry (LULUCF) - guide — 12 March 2012, 16:30 CET

In adopting a new proposal on accounting of greenhouse gases emissions, the European Commission has taken a first step towards incorporating removals and emissions from forests and agriculture into the EU's climate policy. The proposed Decision establishes accounting rules for greenhouse gas emissions and removals in the forest and agriculture sectors, the last major sectors without common EU-wide rules.

Doing business in Italy: Sustainability — 30 March 2012, 00:41 CET

The Italian government encourages businesses to improve environmental standards and act responsibly in this area. The government does not impose measures on sustainability but provides incentives for businesses that wish to do so.

Doing business in Italy: Environmental rules — 30 March 2012, 00:42 CET

National policies on environmental legislation aim to reduce pollution and promote sustainable energy. In Italy, businesses are held responsible for the environmental impact of their activities.

Communication on implementing Environment Law — 07 March 2012, 22:14 CET

Commission Communication on Improving the delivery of benefits from EU environment measures: building confidence through better knowledge and responsiveness

Communication on Implementing EU environment legislation - guide — 07 March 2012, 22:14 CET

Failing to implement environment legislation is thought to cost the EU economy around EUR 50 billion every year in health costs and direct costs to the environment. In an effort to reduce that figure and deliver better environmental outcomes for people and businesses, the European Commission has issued a communication on better implementation of EU environment law.

Doing business in France: Sustainability — 30 March 2012, 00:40 CET

CSR encourages businesses to take account of social and environmental concerns in their business strategies, management and operation methods, and the design of their products and services.

Doing business in France: Environmental rules — 30 March 2012, 00:47 CET

France adopted its national sustainable development strategy in 2003 and its environment charter in 2004. The purpose of sustainable development for businesses is to improve and assess environmental, social and economic performance.

Doing business in Belgium: Environmental rules — 30 March 2012, 00:43 CET

The following guidlines provide information about the environmental regulations in Belgium that help companies run sustainable businesses without adversely impacting the environment.

Doing business in the UK: Environmental rules — 30 March 2012, 00:42 CET

Businesses in the UK have a legal responsibility for the impact they have on the environment.

Doing business in Germany: Sustainability — 30 March 2012, 00:41 CET

Germany has no overall Act covering sustainable development, but rather a sustainability strategy adopted by the Federal Government in 2002.

European Mobility Week Award 2011 — 05 March 2012, 22:02 CET

The Italian city of Bologna has won the 2011 European Mobility Week Award. The city was judged by an independent panel of mobility experts to have done the best job in promoting clean alternatives to using cars and involving citizens in activities to support sustainable urban mobility during European Mobility Week 2011. The runners-up were Larnaka in Cyprus and the Croatian capital Zagreb. The award was handed to the winning city by Environment Commissioner Janez Potočnik and Transport Commissioner Siim Kallas at a ceremony in the Brussels Musical Instrument Museum on 5 March 2012.

Doing business in Germany: Environmental rules — 30 March 2012, 00:48 CET

The devolution of competences to the Länder means that the Federal Government is responsible for some aspects of environmental protection while the Länder handle others.

Doing business in Belgium: Sustainability — 30 March 2012, 00:39 CET

The following guidlines provide information about the environmental regulations in Belgium that help companies run sustainable businesses without adversely impacting the environment.

Doing business in the UK: Sustainability — 15 January 2018, 22:09 CET

UK legislation requires businesses to comply with minimum social and environmental rules. This guide provides general information on environmental rules and sustainability.

Standards for Smart Grids: Recommendations for smart grid standardization in Europe — 17 February 2012, 18:57 CET

This report investigates the status of smart grids standardization in Europe. Its main focus is the organization of standardization in Europe. The present version of the report focuses on the smart electricity grid.

Chemicals and the European Union — 22 January 2013, 14:22 CET

Latest business news about Chemicals and the European Union. REACH is the European Community Regulation on chemicals and their safe use. It deals with the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemical substances. The law entered into force on 1 June 2007.

EU Financial assistance for the decommissioning of nuclear plants in Bulgaria, Lithuania and Slovakia: Achievements and Future Challenges - ECA Special Report No 16/2011 — 08 February 2012, 11:39 CET

In the framework of the EU accession negotiations, Bulgaria, Lithuania and Slovakia committed to the early closure and decommissioning of eight nuclear reactors, thus facing a significant production capacity loss. The Court assessed the effectiveness of the EU financial assistance (2 850 million euro up to now) in supporting recipient countries’ efforts to decommission their closed nuclear reactors and to address the consequences of the early closure. The Court found that progress has been slow, no comprehensive assessment of future needs exists, and available funding is plainly insufficient. The Court recommended making conditional any further support upon an evaluation of the EU added value.

Was Durban a significant step forward? — 19 December 2011, 16:34 CET

The Durban agreement was essentially an agreement to keep talking. All countries promised to negotiate commitments, but no actual commitments were made.

Fish-friendly laundry and dishwasher detergents - guide — 15 December 2011, 00:01 CET

Washing powders and dishwasher detergents will need to be almost phosphate-free in future, following a vote in the European Parliament on Wednesday. The measures aim to protect aquatic life in waterways and seas around the EU.

European Fund for the EU's Maritime and Fisheries Policies - guide — 02 December 2011, 22:56 CET

The European Commission has proposed a new fund for the EU's maritime and fisheries policies for the period 2014-2020: the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF). The Fund will help deliver the ambitious objectives of the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy and will help fishermen in the transition towards sustainable fishing, as well as coastal communities in the diversification of their economies. The fund will finance projects that create new jobs and improve quality of life along European coasts. Red tape will be cut so that beneficiaries have easy access to financing.

Regulation establishing a programme to support further development of an integrated maritime policy — 24 November 2011, 17:23 CET

The Council today adopted a regulation establishing an EU programme to further promote the development and the implementation of the EU's integrated maritime policy.

EU ETS: Commission proposes two draft regulations on monitoring, reporting and verification — 24 November 2011, 00:16 CET

The European Commission has submitted to the Climate Change Committee two draft regulations, one for monitoring and reporting and one for accreditation and verification in phase 3 of the EU Emissions Trading System. These regulations form part of a series of implementing provisions (auctioning regulation, benchmarking decision etc.) that need to be put in place ahead of the start of the third trading period in 2013. The submission of these draft regulations has been preceded by extensive stakeholder consultation.

Monitoring and reporting of greenhouse gas emissions and other climate action information - guide — 24 November 2011, 00:19 CET

Timely and accurate data on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is vital for knowing whether the EU and its Member States are on track to meet their emission targets and for developing robust new policies to address the climate challenge. The European Commission today proposed legislation to significantly enhance the monitoring and reporting of GHG emissions, in particular to meet new requirements arising from the package of EU climate and energy laws for the period 2013-2020.

Sharks - EC website — 21 November 2011, 15:26 CET

Sharks, rays and chimaeras (chondrichthyans, commonly referred to as 'sharks') are ancient species that play a vital role in maintaining the balance of marine ecosystems. Since the mid-1980s, they have been under increasingly intense fishing pressure due to higher demand for shark products (meat, fins, skin, cartilage, etc.), especially in Asian markets. This over-exploitation affects populations that are generally fragile and is leading some species to the brink of extinction.

Plant health pests and EU funding programmes to deal with them - guide — 16 November 2011, 17:07 CET

The European Union today earmarked 19 million euros to co-finance programmes in seven Member States aiming to combat organisms harmful to plants and to prevent them from spreading further in the Union and thus from having sever consequences on the internal market. During a meeting of the Standing Committee on Plant Health (SCPH), the Member States endorsed two Commission proposals providing the co-financing (EUR 15 and EUR 4 million respectively) of actions already undertaken in the past or planned to be executed next year.