EU ENVIRONMENTAL LEGISLATION

EU environmental policies and legislation protect natural habitats, keep air and water clean, ensure proper waste disposal, improve knowledge about toxic chemicals and help businesses move toward a sustainable economy.

The following is a list of EU Environment and Climate Change related legislation documents and weblinks that are currently available on Lean Business Ireland.

Fighting water pollution from agricultural nitrates
Council Directive 91/676/EEC of 12 December 1991 concerning the protection of waters against pollution caused by nitrates from agricultural sources

It aims to reduce water pollution from nitrates used for agricultural purposes and to prevent any further pollution. It is closely linked to other EU policies which address air and water quality, climate change and agriculture.

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Flood-risk management in the EU
Directive 2007/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2007 on the assessment and management of flood risks

This directive aims to establish a framework for measures to reduce the risk of floods in the EU by assessing the risk of flooding in river basins and coastal regions, mapping out areas that are prone to significant floods and drawing up flood-risk management plans based on close cooperation between the EU countries.

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General Obligations – Assessment of the effects of plans and programmes on the environment
Directive 2001/42/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 June 2001 on the assessment of the effects of certain plans and programmes on the environment

This Directive requires certain plans and programmes, which are likely to have significant effects on the environment, to be subject to an environmental assessment. This assessment specifically enables environmental considerations to be integrated in the preparation and adoption of these plans and programmes. It also contributes to sustainable development.

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General Obligations – Environmental inspections: minimum criteria
Recommendation 2001/331/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 4 April 2001 providing for minimum criteria for environmental inspections in the Member States

This recommendation sets, in a non-prescriptive way, minimum criteria for organising, performing, following-up and publishing the results of environmental inspections in all Member States with the aim of improving compliance and ensuring that EU environment legislation is applied and implemented more consistently.

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General Obligations – EU environmental impact assessment rules
Directive 2011/92/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 December 2011 on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment

It updates rules requiring developers of certain public and private projects to carry out a thorough assessment of the impact their projects might have on the environment before it receives consent.

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General Obligations – The polluter-pays principle and environmental liability
Directive 2004/35/CE of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 April 2004 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 related costs.

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General Obligations – The precautionary principle
Communication from the Commission on the precautionary principle / COM/2000/0001 final
  • It explains the precautionary principle which enables a rapid response to be given in the face of a possible danger to human, animal or plant health, or to protect the environment.
  • In particular, where scientific data do not permit a complete evaluation of the risk, recourse to this principle may, for example, be used to stop distribution or order withdrawal from the market of products likely to be hazardous.
  • It establishes common guidelines on the application of the precautionary principle.
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Genetically modified food & feed
Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 September 2003 on genetically modified food and feed

—It lays down rules on how genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are authorised and supervised, and on how genetically modified food and animal feed is labelled.

—It aims to protect:

—people’s lives and health

—animal health and welfare

—environmental and consumer interests.

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