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.

Civil liability for oil pollution damage: Bunkers Convention
2002/762/EC: Council Decision of 19 September 2002 authorising the Member States, in the interest of the Community, to sign, ratify or accede to the International Convention on Civil Liability for Bunker Oil Pollution Damage, 2001 (the Bunkers Convention)

It authorises EU countries to sign, ratify or accede to the 2001 International Convention on Civil Liability for Bunker Oil Pollution Damage (Bunkers Convention).

Cleaner air for Europe
Directive 2008/50/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 May 2008 on ambient air quality and cleaner air for Europe

It establishes air quality objectives, including ambitious, cost-effective targets for improving human health and environmental quality up to 2020. It also specifies ways of assessing these and of taking any corrective action if the standards are not met. It provides for the public to be kept informed.

Climate change in the context of development cooperation [archived]
Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament - Climate change in the context of development cooperation

The aim of this communication is to assist the developing countries in reconciling their needs for economic development – and hence for industrialisation – with the protection of the environment and sustainable use of energy and natural resources. The Commission proposes to help them meet the challenges posed by climate change in particular by supporting them in the implementation of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol. It proposes a strategy based on support for adaptation and mitigation, and on building the capacity of these countries to adapt their policy towards the environment and above all towards air pollution.

Climate change - Paris Agreement, ratified by EU
Council Decision (EU) 2016/1841 of 5 October 2016 on the conclusion, on behalf of the European Union, of the Paris Agreement adopted under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
  • This decision by the Council of the European Union ratifies the Paris Agreement on climate change on behalf of all European Union (EU) countries.
  • The agreement aims to strengthen the global response to the threat of climate change, including by limiting warming to well below 2oC.
Combating illegal logging
Regulation (EU) No 995/2010 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 October 2010 laying down the obligations of operators who place timber and timber products on the market

It prohibits illegally harvested timber from being placed on the EU market, and sets out preconditions for the marketing of timber and timber products in the EU.

Combating invasive species [Archived]
Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions - Towards an EU strategy on invasive species [SEC(2008) 2887 et SEC(2008) 2886] /* COM/2008/0789 final */

The Commission has presented a series of options to prepare a strategy to tackle this problem - one of the major threats to biodiversity.

Combatting deforestation
Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions - Addressing the challenges of deforestation and forest degradation to tackle climate change and biodiversity loss {SEC(2008) 2618} {SEC(2008) 2619} {SEC(2008) 2620}

In this paper, the European Commission sets out lines of action for the European Union response to deforestation, invites contributions from stakeholders, and aims to kick-start initial actions that create the foundations of a global response to deforestation.

Community strategy concerning mercury
Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament - Community Strategy Concerning Mercury {SEC(2005) 101}

In view of the risks mercury poses for human health and the environment, the European Union (EU) has drawn up a strategy based on six objectives, accompanied by specific actions, aimed mainly at reducing the quantity and the circulation of mercury within the EU and throughout the world as well as human exposure to this substance.