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.

All motor vehicles – Emissions from heavy duty vehicles (Euro VI): certification rules
Regulation (EC) No 595/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 June 2009 on type-approval of motor vehicles and engines with respect to emissions from heavy duty vehicles (Euro VI) and on access to vehicle repair and maintenance information and amending Regulation (EC) No 715/2007 and Directive 2007/46/EC and repealing Directives 80/1269/EEC, 2005/55/EC and 2005/78/EC

This Regulation contributes to meeting European objectives to combat polluting emissions and on air quality. It establishes rules on technical requirements for the type-approval of heavy duty vehicles and their engines with respect to emissions, and supplements existing legislation on the Community type-approval of motor vehicles.

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All motor vehicles – Quality of petrol and diesel fuels: sulphur and lead
Directive 98/70/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 October 1998 relating to the quality of petrol and diesel fuels and amending Council Directive 93/12/EEC

Alongside the amending acts, it establishes technical specifications to be applied to petrol, diesel and biofuels used in road transport, as well as to gas oils used in non-road mobile machinery.

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All motor vehicles – Reducing pollution from light motor vehicles
Regulation (EC) No 715/2007 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 June 2007 on type approval of motor vehicles with respect to emissions from light passenger and commercial vehicles (Euro 5 and Euro 6) and on access to vehicle repair and maintenance information

  • It harmonises the technical requirements for reducing emissions from cars and vans, known as light-duty vehicles.
  • It covers replacement parts, such as pollution control devices*, and sets out rules for their servicing, repair and maintenance.

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All motor vehicles – "Green" vehicles: a European strategy
Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council and the European Economic and Social Committee - A European strategy on clean and energy efficient vehicles

This Communication details several lines of action aimed at encouraging the development of "green" vehicles and the market uptake of these vehicles.

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Assessment and management of environmental noise
Directive 2002/49/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 June 2002 relating to the assessment and management of environmental noise - Declaration by the Commission in the Conciliation Committee on the Directive relating to the assessment and management of environmental noise

This Directive is aimed at controlling noise perceived by people in built-up areas, in public parks or other quiet areas in an agglomeration, in quiet areas in open country, near schools, hospitals and other noise-sensitive buildings and areas. It does not apply to noise that is caused by the exposed person him or herself, noise from domestic activities, noise created by neighbours, noise at work places or inside means of transport or noise due to military activities in military areas.

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Authorisation of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in the EU
COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS Reviewing the decision-making process on genetically modified organisms (GMOs)

It points out that the current system for the authorisation of genetically modified (GM) food and feed in the EU does not fully take into account the individual concerns of democratically elected national, regional and local governments. It therefore suggests ways to include these concerns in the authorisation process.

It proposes to amend Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 to allow individual EU countries to restrict or prohibit the use, on their territory (or part of it), of genetically modified food and feed that has been authorised at EU level.

This restriction or prohibition would be on grounds other than a risk to the environment or to human/animal health ‚the criteria assessed by the European Food and Safety Authority (EFSA) in its risk assessment

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Ban on trade in cat and dog fur
Regulation (EC) No 1523/2007 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2007 banning the placing on the market and the import to, or export from, the Community of cat and dog fur, and products containing such fur

The European Union (EU) introduced a ban, effective as of 31 December 2008, on trade in cat and dog fur and products containing such fur.

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Basel Convention on the transfer and disposal of dangerous waste
97/640/EC: Council Decision of 22 September 1997 on the approval, on behalf of the Community, of the amendment to the Convention on the control of transboundary movements of hazardous wastes and their disposal (Basle Convention), as laid down in Decision III/1 of the Conference of the Parties

The Basel Convention lays down rules to control, at an international level, transboundary movements of wastes hazardous to human health and the environment, and their disposal.

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