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.
The Commission defines the necessary principles to introduce a Community Shared Environmental Information System. It undertakes a cost-benefit analysis of its introduction and takes stock of the measures already implemented and those still to be taken.
To formulate a plan with a view to developing a Community strategy for soil protection
It sets out harmonised rules for placing seal products on the EU market.
By acceding to this Convention, the Community and the Member States wish to protect human health and the environment against industrial accidents capable of causing transboundary effects, and to promote active international cooperation between the contracting parties before, during and after such accidents.
It presents a comprehensive strategy for alternative fuels, explaining how these can be applied to all forms of transport. The strategy covers technological developments, investment in using the new fuels and ways to explain the benefits to the public.
KEY POINTS
• No single fuel solution exists for different forms of transport – road (passenger and freight), rail, air and water.
• Gas: possibilities exist through liquified petroleum gas, natural gas including biomethane, liquified natural gas, compressed natural gas and gas-to-liquid.
• Electricity: electric vehicles (EVs) using electricity from the grid are becoming more numerous as the technology matures.
• Biofuels: the most important type of alternative fuel for achieving the 10 % of renewable energy target in transport by 2020. The average share of renewable energy sources in transport fuel consumption across the EU-28 was 5,1 % in 2012.
• Hydrogen: hydrogen fuel cells are increasingly being used in cars, buses, light vans and inland shipping.
• Infrastructure for the distribution of alternative fuels: this must be as extensive as possible so that manufacturers can enjoy economies of scale and users an adequate network.
• Standards: common technical, and safety, specifications are essential, particularly for electronic vehicles.
• Consumer acceptance: the public should be informed of the benefits of, and encouraged to embrace, the new forms of fuel.
The EU makes it clear that it fully supports international efforts to reduce maritime greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In parallel, the EU is taking its own initiatives. The communication sets out a gradual approach for including shipping in its overall target to reduce GHG emissions.
The aim of this communication from the Commission is to improve the efficacy of the European transport system through logistics. It also promotes multimodality as the way to make freight transport more environmentally friendly, safer and more energy efficient. The communication will be followed by an action plan in 2007.
It establishes rules for an EU system to accurately monitor, report and verify (MRV) CO2 emissions and other relevant information from large ships using EU ports. It becomes applicable from 1 January 2018.
KEY POINTS
—The system will apply to all vessels over 5 000 gross tonnes visiting EU ports after 1 January 2018.
—It will cover CO2 emissions from ships at sea and at berth. Data to be monitored on each ship cover also other energy-efficiency related information as distance travelled, time spent at sea and cargo carried.
—Each year, ship companies must provide externally verified records for each vessel covered by the Regulation.
—To ensure that monitoring is consistent and comparable, companies must document their methodology to be applied in a monitoring plan. They must check regularly whether the methodology needs to be improved. If necessary, they must submit it for reassessment to an accredited verifier.
—The monitoring plan must contain complete and transparent documentation on items such as the various sources of CO2 on the vessel and the procedures for determining activity data per voyage (i.e. distance covered, number of passengers, details of cargo carried, time spent at sea, etc.).
—By 31 August 2017, companies must prepare a monitoring plan for each of their ships covered by the Regulation. The plans must be submitted to an accredited verifier for assessment.
—From 30 April 2019, companies must submit a verified annual emissions report to the European Commission.
—From 30 June 2019 ships having visited EU ports during a previous reporting period must carry on board a valid document showing their compliance with the MRV obligations.
— By 30 June each year starting from 2019, the Commission must make the reported information publicly available.
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