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.

Secure & sustainable energy – EU rules for the taxation of energy products and electricity
Council Directive 2003/96/EC of 27 October 2003 restructuring the Community framework for the taxation of energy products and electricity

  • It lays down European Union (EU) rules on taxes in regard to electricity, all motor fuels and most heating fuels.
  • The purpose is to ensure that the EU’s single market for energy operates smoothly and to avoid any distortions of trade and competition which could result from big differences in national tax systems.
  • The rules contribute to wider goals such as moving to a competitive, low-carbon, energy-efficient economy.

KEY POINTS

  • Energy products are taxed only when used as motor fuel or for heating.
  • The legislation introduces minimum levels of tax on motor fuels, heating fuels and electricity applicable from 1 January 2004.
  • Energy products used for heating, in agriculture, stationary motors and machinery for construction and public works can be taxed at lower levels than fuel for cars.
  • Governments may apply a lower rate of duty on commercial diesel (when used by road hauliers or for passenger transport) than on diesel for non-commercial use.
  • The directive allows tax exemptions and reductions in particular for environmental and health policy reasons. Governments may exempt from taxation renewable energy sources such as biofuels or fuels and electricity used to transport goods and passengers by train, metro, tram or trolleybus.
  • The legislation allows for reduced taxes for energy-intensive firms — those that have made the greatest effort to reduce consumption. EU countries which had difficulty implementing the new measures were given transitional arrangements before applying the legislation (Belgium, Germany, Ireland, Greece, Spain, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Austria and Portugal).
  • Similar temporary exemptions and transitional periods were granted to the countries that joined the EU in 2004 and 2007.
  • The legislation does not apply to some energy-intensive sectors (e.g. in metallurgy) or to energy products which have a dual use, i.e. they are used both for heating and for another purpose (e.g. for the production of certain chemicals).
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Secure & sustainable energy – Sustainable power generation from fossil fuels [archived]
Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament - Sustainable power generation from fossil fuels: aiming for near-zero emissions from coal after 2020

In this Communication the Commission assesses how and at what cost power can be generated from fossil fuels in future while reducing the associated greenhouse gas emissions.

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SET-Plan for the development of low-carbon technologies
Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions - Investing in the Development of Low Carbon Technologies (SET-Plan)

The European strategic energy technology plan (SET-Plan) aims to boost the development and use of low-carbon technologies by 2020. It promotes cooperation between EU countries, companies and research institutions, which by pooling skills and facilities, can reduce costs. It also helps to finance projects.

KEY POINTS

  • European industrial initiatives exist for various forms of energy. The percentage of electricity they could produce by 2020 is given in brackets: wind (20 %), solar (15 %), bioenergy (14 %).
  • The European electricity grid initiative is designed to enable 50 % of networks in Europe to integrate renewables and effectively match supply and demand by 2020.
  • The carbon capture and storage initiative aims to make the technologies involved commercially viable.
  • The sustainable nuclear fission initiative is looking to have the first generation-IV prototypes in operation by 2020.
  • The energy efficiency initiative should ensure 25-30 ‘smart’cities (i.e. cities that use digital technologies which allow them to offer better public services for citizens and better use of resources with less impact on the environment) take the lead in the move to a low carbon future.
  • The European energy research alliance promotes coordinated cooperation between national research institutes on joint programmes. It is accompanied by moves to create science and research poles.
  • The Commission is exploring other technology options such as offshore renewable energy (such as wind energy, tidal power generators, etc.), energy storage, renewable heating and cooling. In the nuclear field, it is addressing the challenges of lifetime extension of facilities and disposal of nuclear waste.
  • The EU is actively cooperating with many of its international partners in, for instance, the strategic forum for international science and technology cooperation.

 

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Seventh Framework Programme (2007 to 2013) [archived]
Decision No 1982/2006/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2006 concerning the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007-2013) Statements by the Commission

Research is a component of a knowledge triangle (the other two being education and innovation) meant to boost growth and employment in the European Union (EU) in the context of a global economy. The 7th Framework Programme for Research, covering the period 2007 to 2013, is an opportunity for the EU to match its research policy to its ambitions in terms of economic and social policy by consolidating the European Research Area (ERA). In order to achieve this objective, the Commission hopes to increase the EU’s annual spending on research, thereby generating more national and private investment in this field. When it is implemented, the 7th Framework Programme will also have to respond to the research and knowledge needs of industry and more generally of EU policies. The Framework Programme is organised around four main programmes and has been greatly simplified so as to be more effective and more accessible to researchers.

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Ship recycling
Regulation (EU) No 1257/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 November 2013 on ship recycling and amending Regulation (EC) No 1013/2006 and Directive 2009/16/EC

It aims to prevent, reduce and minimise accidents, injuries and other negative effects on human health and the environment when ships are recycled and the hazardous waste they contain is removed.

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Ship-source pollution and criminal penalties
Directive 2005/35/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 September 2005 on ship-source pollution and on the introduction of penalties for infringements

It creates rules that are applicable EU-wide on the imposition of penalties in the event of discharges of oil or other polluting substances from ships sailing in its waters.

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Shipments of radioactive substances
Council Regulation (Euratom) No 1493/93 of 8 June 1993 on shipments of radioactive substances between Member States

It introduces an EU-wide system for declarations of shipments of radioactive substances between EU countries.

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Situation in 1999 and prospects for radioactive waste management [Archived]
Communication and fourth report from the Commission on the present situation and prospects for radioactive waste management in the European Union

The Commission gives its analysis of the radioactive waste situation in the European Union following the implementation of the Community action plan for 1980-1999.

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