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.

Maritime safety: compensation fund for oil pollution damage
Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council on a second set of community measures on maritime safety following the sinking of the oil tanker ERIKA

This proposal aims to improve the liability and compensation arrangements for pollution damage caused by ships.

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Maritime safety: prevention of pollution from ships
Directive 2002/84/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 November 2002 amending the Directives on maritime safety and the prevention of pollution from ships

European Union legislation on maritime safety must be adapted at regular intervals to take account of the amendments or the protocols to the international conventions, new resolutions or changes to the codes and compendia of existing technical rules

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Mechanism for monitoring greenhouse gases
Regulation (EU) No 525/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 May 2013 on a mechanism for monitoring and reporting greenhouse gas emissions and for reporting other information at national and Union level relevant to climate change and repealing Decision No 280/2004/EC
  • 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 reporting procedures and rules for GHG emissions.
  • Incorporating new reporting and monitoring requirements arising from the EU’s 2020 Climate and Energy Package and from recent decisions adopted by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), it replaces the old monitoring mechanism established under Decision 280/2004/EC.

KEY POINTS

The regulation:

  • enhances the monitoring, reporting and review procedures and rules, which allows for the implementation of domestic and international commitments;
  • establishes an EU-wide greenhouse gas inventory* system that seeks to strengthen transparency and completeness between the GHG inventories of EU countries;
  • incorporates EU countries’ information on their planning and strategies for adaptation to climate change, covering aspects such as flooding, draughts and extreme temperatures;
  • strengthens the reporting by the EU and EU countries on financial and technological support provided to developing countries; and
  • ensures the timeliness, transparency, accuracy, comparability and completeness of data reported by the EU and EU countries.
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Monitoring & adapting to climate change – Adapting to Climate Change [archived]
Green Paper from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions - Adapting to climate change in Europe - options for EU action

This Green Paper launches a consultation on the future direction of EU policy as regards Europe’s adaptation to climate change. It states why action must be taken and lays down the relevant guidelines.

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Monitoring & adapting to climate change – Civil Protection Mechanism [archived]
2007/779/EC,Euratom: Council Decision of 8 November 2007 establishing a Community Civil Protection Mechanism (recast)

The Community Civil Protection Mechanism supports and facilitates the mobilisation of emergency services to meet the immediate needs of countries hit by disaster or at risk from one. It improves the coordination of assistance interventions by defining the obligations of European Union (EU) countries and the Commission and by establishing certain bodies and procedures, such as the Monitoring and Information Centre (MIC).

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Monitoring & adapting to climate change – Combatting deforestation
Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions - Addressing the challenges of deforestation and forest degradation to tackle climate change and biodiversity loss

In this paper, the European Commission sets out lines of action for the European Union response to deforestation, invites contributions from stakeholders, and aims to kick-start initial actions that create the foundations of a global response to deforestation.

KEY POINTS

  • The EU calls for a halt to global forest cover loss (i.e. a change from a forest to a non-forest state) by 2030 at the latest and for tropical deforestation to be reduced by at least 50 % by 2020 as compared to current levels.
  • It considers that the fight against deforestation must take place on several levels. These range from strengthening national and local forest governance and improving monitoring mechanisms, to taking into account consumer demand and creating financial incentives to preserve forests. This action must take place within the framework of international agreements, such as the UN’s Convention on Biodiversity and Framework Convention on Climate Change.
  • It shows that policies already in place in the EU can help tackle deforestation, such as the Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT); green public procurement; eco-labelling; and work carried out in the framework of the Global Climate Change Alliance (GCCA).
  • It indicates how proceeds from the Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) could be used to help fund the fight against deforestation.
  • It proposes the setting up of a global mechanism for incentivising the preservation of tropical forests, which has become REDD+ (i.e. Reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation, including through afforestation, conservation and sustainable management of forests).
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Monitoring & adapting to climate change – European Earth monitoring programme (GMES) [archived]
Regulation (EU) No 911/2010 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 September 2010 on the European Earth monitoring programme (GMES) and its initial operations (2011 to 2013)

The European Union (EU) establishes the European Earth monitoring programme (GMES) and the rules relating to its initial operations during the period 2011-2013.

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Monitoring & adapting to climate change – 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.

KEY POINTS

  • This directive requires EU countries to assess the risk of flooding in coastal regions and river basins by collecting information on those areas, such as past flood history and maps showing borders, land use and topography, and determining the likelihood of future significant floods and their consequences. First published by 22 December 2011, these assessments will be reviewed by 22 December 2018 and then reviewed every 6 years thereafter.
  • EU countries must also produce maps that identify areas prone to significant flood risks and indicate scenarios (based on high, medium or low probability) of a flood occurring there. First published by 22 December 2013, these maps must be reviewed every 6 years.
  • EU countries must also establish flood-risk management plans that are coordinated at the level of the river basin or coastal districts. These plans establish objectives for the management of flood risks, focusing mainly on prevention (e.g. avoiding construction in areas that may flood), protection (measures to reduce the likelihood of floods in a specific place) and preparedness (informing the public about flood risks and what do to in the event of flooding). These plans must be completed by 22 December 2015 and are also to be reviewed every 6 years.
  • Both the flood-risk maps and the management plans are coordinated with the water framework directive (WFD). The implementation of the WFD, this directive and other water-related directives is guided by the common implementation strategy, which also aims to integrate water policies with other policies in the EU, such as agriculture, transport or research and regional development.
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