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.

Bathing water quality
Directive 2006/7/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 February 2006 concerning the management of bathing water quality and repealing Directive 76/160/EEC

The European Union (EU) introduces new legislation aimed at improving bathing water quality. This Directive enables water monitoring and management measures to be improved, and information to be made available to the public.

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Bathing water quality (until 2014)
Council Directive 76/160/EEC of 8 December 1975 concerning the quality of bathing water

This Directive concerns the quality of bathing water in the Member States of the European Union (EU). It concerns those waters in which bathing is authorised by the national authorities and regularly practised by a significant number of bathers. This Directive does not apply to water intended for therapeutic purposes, or to water used in swimming pools.

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Bern Convention
82/72/EEC: Council Decision of 3 December 1981 concerning the conclusion of the Convention on the conservation of European wildlife and natural habitats

The aim of this convention is to ensure the conservation of European wildlife and natural habitats by means of cooperation between States.

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Biodiversity Action Plan for Agriculture
Commission Communication of 27 March 2001 to the Council and the European Parliament: Biodiversity Action Plan for Agriculture (Volume III) [COM(2001) 162 final

This communication is the third volume of the Commission Communication of 27 March 2001 on Biodiversity Action Plans in the areas of Conservation of Natural Resources, Agriculture, Fisheries, and Development and Economic Cooperation. This volume is specifically dedicated to agriculture.

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Biodiversity Action Plan for Economic and Development Co-operation [Archived]
Communication of 27 March 2001 from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament: Biodiversity Action Plan for Economic and Development Co-operation (volume V) [COM(2001) 162 final

This Communication is the fifth volume of the Commission Communication of 27 March 2001 on Biodiversity Action Plans in the areas of Conservation of Natural Resources, Agriculture, Fisheries, and Development and Economic Co-operation. This volume deals with the area of development and economic co-operation.

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Biodiversity strategy for 2020
COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS Our life insurance, our natural capital: an EU biodiversity strategy to 2020 COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS Our life insurance, our natural capital: an EU biodiversity strategy to 2020

This strategy aims to halt the loss of biodiversity and the degradation of ecosystems in the European Union (EU) by 2020, by identifying six priority targets. This strategy is an integral part of the Europe 2020 strategy, and, in particular, of the flagship initiative entitled "A resource-efficient Europe'.

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Black Sea Synergy
Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament black sea synergy - A new regional cooperation initiative

The Black Sea region, which includes Bulgaria and Romania, occupies a strategic position between Europe, Central Asia and the Middle East. The European Union intends to support regional commitments tending to increase mutual confidence and remove obstacles to the stability, security and prosperity of the countries in this region.

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Carbon dioxide capture and storage
Directive 2009/31/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 April 2009 on the geological storage of carbon dioxide and amending Council Directive 85/337/EEC, European Parliament and Council Directives 2000/60/EC, 2001/80/EC, 2004/35/EC, 2006/12/EC, 2008/1/EC and Regulation (EC) No 1013/2006

This directive, known as the Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) Directive, establishes a legal framework that helps tackle climate change through the environmentally safe geological storage of CO2.

KEY POINTS

—Geological CO2 storage sites must be environmentally safe. They cannot interfere with any bodies of water (because of potential negative effects of CO2 placed into water-columns) or present any health risks. Determining the suitability of these sites includes a rigorous process of data collection, computer static and dynamic modelling to make a 3D model of the candidate storage complex, sensitivity characterisation by applying various simulations on the 3D model and risk assessments using information gathered from the previous steps.

—Permits are required to use geological storage sites. Permit applications, submitted to the competent authority of the EU country at hand, must include information such as the expected security of the storage site, the quantity of CO2 to be injected, the measures to prevent significant irregularities and a proposed monitoring plan. The Commission may issue a non-binding opinion on the draft storage permit to ensure consistency in the implementation of the requirements of the directive across the EU, therefore enhancing public confidence in CCS. Once issued, the competent authority reviews the permit 5 years after issue and every 10 years after that.

—No other waste or matter may be added to the CO2 storage sites for the purpose of waste disposal. CO2 monitoring results by site operators must be communicated to the competent authority once every year. Meanwhile, the monitoring plan must be updated by the site operator every 5 years and approved by the competent authority. In case of leakage, immediate action must be taken by the site operator (or by the competent authority if the site operator fails to do so) in line with the corrective measures plan approved by the competent authority as part of the storage permit.

—Storage sites are closed if there is a substantiated request and conditions stated in the permit have been met by the site operator or if the competent authority decides to close the site after the withdrawal of the permit. Once closed, the operator remains responsible for the site until the conditions for transfer of responsibility are met (mainly the condition that the CO2 will be completely and permanently stored).

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