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 purpose of this Action Plan is to mobilise the general public, policy-makers and market actors, and to transform the internal energy market in a way that provides EU citizens with the most energy-efficient infrastructure (including buildings), products (including appliances and cars), and energy systems in the world.
The objective of the Action Plan is to control and reduce energy demand and to take targeted action on consumption and supply in order to save 20 % of annual consumption of primary energy by 2020 (compared to the energy consumption forecasts for 2020). This objective corresponds to achieving approximately a 1.5 % saving per year up to 2020.
In order to achieve substantial and sustainable energy savings, energy-efficient techniques, products and services must be developed and consumption habits must be changed so that less energy is used to maintain the same quality of life. The Plan sets out a number of short and medium-term measures to achieve this objective.
The Action Plan runs for a six-year period from 1 January 2007 to 31 December 2012. The Commission considers this timeframe to be sufficient to adopt and transpose most of the measures it proposes. A mid-term review will be carried out in 2009.
It analyses the progress the EU has already made in moving towards greater energy efficiency* and identifies the drivers and barriers that exist. It also sets out details of the energy efficiency package that the Commission plans to present.
KEY POINTS
The package contains the following measures.
Subsequently, in 2011, the Commission proposed an energy efficiency plan to ensure the 20 % reduction target is met and to help move towards a resource-efficient and low-carbon economy by 2050.
In 2012 the EU adopted a new energy efficiency directive. This laid down rules for the more efficient supply and use of energy and laid down indicative national energy efficiency targets.
The Commission wishes to relaunch European Union (EU) action in energy saving using this Green Paper. It invites public authorities to make citizens and businesses more accountable by rewarding energy saving behaviour. Energy efficiency is a major challenge as current developments in energy consumption threaten the environment and the economic growth of the EU. Efforts must be made in the transport, energy production and building sectors in particular.
Developing clean, efficient and low-carbon energy technologies is essential if the European Union is to face up to today’s energy and environmental challenges and set an example for other countries. It is with these aims in mind that the European Commission announces the launch of a European Strategic Energy Technology (SET) plan.
The Commission is proposing a programme of measures for the environment and the sustainable management of resources which could be financed by the Community and implemented as part of the European Union’s external policy.
The Commission outlines the essential features of a coordinated strategy for the Mediterranean basin to protect the marine environment and the coastline of this region and to reduce pollution by 2020. This strategy is based on enhanced cooperation between the countries concerned in the political, financial and technical arenas, and provides for the accomplishment of targeted activities, planned within a common initiative known as "Horizon 2020”.
The Commission has compiled a list of environmental indicators with a view to selecting seven key indicators to be inserted in the structural indicators to assess implementation of the strategy to make the European Union the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world, capable of sustained economic growth.
It requires the EU’s institutions and various bodies to implement the obligations contained in the Aarhus Convention. These obligations guarantee the public* access to information, participation in decision making and access to justice on environmental issues
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