Topics in Focus

In-Depth Articles on EU Policy Topics

Priority Substances in Water

06 February 2012

The Commission plans to impose further restrictions on certain chemicals used in biocides, pharmaceuticals and plant protection products in order to reduce their presence in European rivers, lakes and coastal waters. This is happening through a revision of the Directive on priority substances in...

Overhaul of EU Data Protection

30 January 2012

The Commission has proposed a comprehensive reform of the EU's 1995 data protection rules. Some of the main changes that would be introduced by the overhaul, as currently proposed by the Commission, are:• Compulsory notification of data breaches within 24 hours and the individuals affected without...

A Push for Animal Welfare

20 January 2012

The EU will see a series of new legislative proposals and other policy initiatives on animal welfare over the next four years. This will include studies, to be launched next year, on the welfare of farmed fish and the provision of information to consumers. The European Commission also plans to...

Improving EU e-Commerce

13 January 2012

The Commission is looking to boost online sales as part of it drive to create a more a competitive EU internal market. The goal of the new e-Commerce initiative, presented this week by the Commission, is to double the share of e-commerce in EU retail sales (currently 3.4%) by 2015. The...

Happy New Year!

23 December 2011

The EU Issue Tracker team would like to wish everyone a very enjoyable and relaxing holiday season and a healthy, successful and happy 2012! We will be back with our next policy briefing in January....

EU "Energy Roadmap 2050"

16 December 2011

Rising electricity prices through 2030, and a key role for both renewable sources and nuclear energy, are foreseen in the European Commission’s “Energy Roadmap 2050”, which was presented last week and examines the ways in which the EU can ensure safe, secure, sustainable and affordable energy in...

EUR 87.7 Billion for R&D

09 December 2011

With a proposed budget of almost €90 billion, the European Commission is calling for a massive increase (up from €51 billion) in EU public spending on R&D. Last week the Commission unveiled this ambitious proposal for a new EU research and development funding programme that will run from 2014...

For a Better Airport Experience

05 December 2011

The European Commission has presented a package of policy proposals aimed at increasing the capacity of Europe’s airports, improving the quality of passenger service, and reducing noise emissions. The Airport Package, as it is called, consists of three legislative proposals, dealing with:• Slot...

Monitoring Greenhouse Gases

28 November 2011

Changes to the current mechanisms for monitoring and reporting greenhouse gas emissions at both national and EU level are on the way. The European Commission, which last week proposed a Regulation that would make the changes, says that more accurate data on emissions would make it easier for the EU...

Halting Antimicrobial Resistance

19 November 2011

To tackle the problem of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), the Commission has listed a series of legislative and non-legislative policy actions it plans to take over the next five years and will also contribute to research and development of new antimicrobials in the EU. Its “Five-Year Action Plan”...

EU Funds for Consumer Rights

14 November 2011

The EU is budgeting €197 million to support its consumer policies from 2014 to 2020. This is the European Commission’s next Consumer Programme, which for the designated period is to focus on ensuring that consumers in all Member States can enjoy the full benefits of the Single Market. The...

Better Rules for Business?

07 November 2011

The Commission has presented a “Responsible Business” policy package which it says will a) improve transparency among multinationals (in particular at mining and forestry companies) regarding taxes, royalties and bonuses paid worldwide separate proposal; b) simplify accounting rules for SMEs; and...

EU Carbon Policy Look-Ahead

31 October 2011

The latest in our series of at-a-glance strategic policy look-ahead briefings: What the EU will be doing in carbon policy in the coming years. Download it...

New Offshore Drilling Rules

28 October 2011

Significantly extended liability stipulations are among the new rules on offshore drilling that the European Commission has proposed in a new legislative proposal that was triggered by the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill. The Commission this week proposed new safety standards for offshore oil...

Funding Europe's Infrastructure

25 October 2011

The European Commission last week presented a € 50 billion plan to finance the infrastructure networks of the EU in the areas of transport, energy, and telecommunications. This proposed new legislative package is called the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) and will replace the current...

Common EU Sales Law

14 October 2011

As much as €26 billion in trade between EU countries is missed out on because of the cost, complexity and perceived risk of conducting cross border trade within the EU. Earlier this week the Commission proposed a Common European Sales Law aimed at ameliorating this state of affairs. The proposal...

Consolidated Radiation Rules

10 October 2011

The Commission has proposed a massive consolidation of the existing laws concerning exposure to radiation. The move will be of greater interest to legal and compliance personnel than to strategic types such as CEOs, as the rules themselves are not being radically changed. That said, there will be...

We Now Cover Consumer Policy!

03 October 2011

EU Issue Tracker is proud to announce that we have added complete coverage of Consumer policy to our unrivalled EU regulatory monitoring service. All EU policy initiatives, legislative and non-legislative, with a consumer dimension are now completely covered by EU Issue Tracker. We have...

EU Consumer Policy Today

30 September 2011

An effective consumer policy that enables over 400 million Europeans to shop reliably and securely across borders is crucial to the completion of the internal market. This is why a new Consumer Policy Strategy designed to fully integrate consumer interests across a broad range of policy areas...

Resource Efficiency Roadmap

22 September 2011

The European Commission has a vision of a resource-efficient economy in 2050: sustainable management of all resources, restored biodiversity and the meeting of climate change targets. This is all in the Commision’s “Roadmap to a Resource Efficient Europe”, published earlier this week. The...

New Rules for Seafarers

19 September 2011

The Commission has presented a legislative proposal on the training of seafarers. The new proposal, which amends the current Directive governing this area (Directive 2008/106/EC), has the function of bringing EU law into line with new internationally agreed standards of medical fitness,...

Emergency Transmitters in Cars

09 September 2011

The European Commission would like to see emergency transmitters in all new cars by 2015 – devices that automatically send an alert in the event of a crash, prompting emergency services to respond. This “eCall system” is the subject of a new Recommendation from the Commission, which is...

Radioactive Transport Changes

01 September 2011

Operators transporting radioactive materials should in the future only have to deal with one centralised system authorisation and reporting requirements. This is expected to simplify the current state of affairs, with cross-border movements of radioactive materials needing to pass through multiple...

Briefings Return in September

29 July 2011

The EU Institutions are in holiday slow-down mode. Our monitoring service continues of course, but website briefings are now paused for August. Have a great...

New EU Rules for Yachts Coming

28 July 2011

The Commission has proposed a new law that would further limit polluting emissions, set new noise limits and revise current safety requirements for pleasure boats. In particular, new limits would be set on the emission of nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons and particulate matters, bringing current...

SO2 from Ships - New Proposal

18 July 2011

The Commission has proposed a new law aimed at significantly cutting Sulphur Dioxide emissions from ships, largely by further reducing the allowable sulphur content of shipping fuels. The new Directive would revise a law that is currently in force, namely Directive 1999/32/EC, which regulates the...

Transport for EU Neighbours

10 July 2011

The Commission wants to strengthen transport cooperation and further integrate transport market with neighbouring countries to the East and South of the EU. Its Neighbourhood Transport Action Plan, published this past week, sets out 20 actions to ensure safe transport connections with...

New Energy Efficiency Directive

29 June 2011

The European Commission last week proposed new legislation on energy efficiency. The proposal includes obligatory energy efficiency targets for Member States, specific requirements for public bodies and measures to ensure energy supply efficiency. Background The EU’s energy efficiency target of...

Rules on Electromagnetic Fields

20 June 2011

The EU is looking to impose stricter rules for protection of workers from the dangers of electromagnetic fields. To this end, it has proposed new exposure limit values and help for employers to carry out efficient risk assessments, based on new scientific studies. The aim, according to the...

EU Environmental Noise Report

11 June 2011

The European Commission wants to realign the increasingly divergent approaches being taken by Member States in implementing the EU’s environmental noise pollution rules. This is one of the main conclusions of a report, presented by the European Commission last week, on the EU Member States’...

Streamlining EU Standardisation

03 June 2011

The EU is looking to streamline the way it establishes harmonised standards for products and processes in order to boost European competitiveness and improve efficiency. A package of measures on revising the European standardisation system, which includes a new strategy outlined in a...

Fighting Misuse of EU Funds

30 May 2011

The EU wants to strengthen measures to fight against fraud and the misuse of public funds, in order to better protect the financial interests of European taxpayers. To this end, a Commission Communication, which forms part of an overall EU anti-fraud and anti-corruption strategy, was recently...

EU Laws to Protect Crime Victims

20 May 2011

The EU is currently legislating in the area of criminal law and will have new laws regarding the protection of victims of crime and mutual recognition of national civil law protection measures. Protecting the basic rights of victims immediately following a crime - as well as in the longer term –...

Stop Biodiversity Loss by 2020?

08 May 2011

A strategy calling for renewed action to halt biodiversity loss in the EU by 2020 has been adopted by the European Commission. The strategy consists of six priority targets and 20 accompanying actions that address the main causes of biodiversity loss to enable the EU to reach this target. It...

Health & Safety at Work: Strategy

04 May 2011

The current EU strategy for occupational health and safety remains "broadly fit for purpose" despite the impact of the financial and economic crisis. Furthermore, existing legislation must be simplified and updated, in particular by a new proposal for a Directive on ergonomics and work...

EU Pushes Net Neutrality

24 April 2011

The European Commission has publicly re-iterated its support for the principle of “net neutrality” for the Internet. This refers to the idea that all data must be treated equally, regardless of what it is (web page, video, voice calling, etc.), how it is being used, and by whom. The Commissioner...

Energy Products Tax Review

19 April 2011

A package of Commission proposals to update the EU's energy products taxation scheme could have implications for fuel prices, electricity generation and households. The Commission proposes taking into account both CO2 emissions and the energy content of each energy product. It also proposes...

EU in Space: Competitivity Focus

10 April 2011

The EU's space strategy should benefit EU citizens and environment protection while boosting EU’s competitiveness, research and innovation, according to the Commission’s Communication on EU Space Strategy, presented last week. Attention is paid to concrete economic benefits, such as advances in...

Transport White Paper Released

31 March 2011

The Commission has announced a sizeable package of new policy initiatives in its Transport White Paper, which it finally presented to the public earlier this week. (In fact the Commission had already started work a while ago on the initiatives it has now announced, and therefore EU Issue Tracker...

EU State Aid in Public Services

28 March 2011

A proposal for a reform of State aid rules on Services of General Economic Interest (“SEGI”) is expected in the foreseeable future (potentially by the end of 2011) with the objective of boosting the contribution SGEI can make to the wider EU economic recovery and guaranteeing that certain services...

Clash Over Novel Foods Policy

21 March 2011

The revision of a key EU Regulation on novel foods risks failing after almost two years of debate. The EU institutions are unable to agree on how to handle products from naturally-born descendants of cloned animals. The European Parliament is calling for an outright ban on such products, while...

EU Low-Carbon Strategy for 2050

10 March 2011

Member States should reduce emissions by 80% by 2050 and invest additional 1,5% of the annual GDP, according to a Commission Communication published on 8 March 2011. The Commission presented a “Roadmap” for moving to a competitive low carbon economy in 2050 which it says provides Member States...

EU Work Stress Policy Failing?

02 March 2011

European employers’ organisations and trade unions have failed to establish a minimum level of protection against work-related stress across Europe, in line with an agreement signed in 2004, according to a recent Commission report. The Commission’s Staff Working Document published on 24 February...

Bus & Coach Passenger Rights

21 February 2011

A new Regulation now finally passed (after a long and controversial adoption process) will extend bus and coach passenger rights and will aim to guarantee the same basic service quality standards wherever bus and coach passengers travel in the European Union. The new legislation sets rules on...

Funding Innovation in the EU

13 February 2011

The Commission wants to improve EU’s research and innovation performance and strengthen its competitiveness by creating a better funding system. Therefore, in its Green Paper published on the 9 February 2011, the Commission launched a public consultation to collect recommendations on this issue....

Renewables: EU State of Play

03 February 2011

Member States should enhance cooperation in order to reach renewable energy targets, according to the Commission Communication on the progress made on renewable energy in the EU, published on the 31 January. This Communication presents an overview of the renewable energy industry in Europe,...

Strategy for Resource Efficiency

28 January 2011

The Commission earlier this week presented its long-term strategy for transition to a resource-efficient, sustainable Europe by 2050 in a Communication presented on 26 January 2011. “A resource-efficient Europe” is one of the seven “flagship initiatives” (priority themes) set out in the “Europe...

EU Waste Law Implementation

22 January 2011

The Commission has called on Member States to make further efforts to properly implement and enforce EU waste legislation. The Commission’s position is outlined in its latest progress report on the implementation of the EU’s Thematic Strategy on the Prevention and Recycling of Waste. According to...

First EU Annual Growth Survey

17 January 2011

The European Commission last week presented the first Annual Growth Survey. This is the initial step of the “European Semester”, which is a six-month cycle for coordination of economic policy between EU Member States that was put in place by the EU Institutions last year in response to the economic...

Major Accident Hazards

05 January 2011

The European Commission has proposed changes to the current rules regarding major chemical accident hazards. This concerns the so-called “Seveso II” Directive (named after the 1976 incident in Seveso, Italy) on safety requirements for industrial installations using dangerous substances. The...

EU Procedures Tweaked

20 December 2010

The EU’s main Institutions have agreed changes to an increasingly important but still – to the broader public – obscure legislative process known as “Comitology”. “Comitology” refers to the powers held by the European Commission to adopt legislation, without a vote in Parliament and often in...

New EU Energy Market Rules

13 December 2010

The European Commission last week proposed new rules for wholesale energy markets, dealing with potential issues such as market abuse and insider trading. The proposed legislation would take the form of a Regulation aiming to enhance market transparency by setting out clear market rules at EU...

New EU VAT Initiative Launched

02 December 2010

The future of Value Added Tax (VAT) in Europe is set to be getting more attention at EU level in the coming months. Although tax is predominantly a national policy area, the EU does have the prerogative to “harmonise” VAT (for example, the current minimum rate in the EU is set at 15%) and grant...

Reform of EU Farm Subsidies

29 November 2010

The European Commission has publicly launched the process of reforming the EU’s Common Agriculture, or “CAP”, as it is often known, which disburses subsidies to farmers in the EU. At EUR 55 billion, CAP is by far the largest item in the EU’s budget. One of the main aspects of reform will be to...

EU Energy Infrastructure Plans

18 November 2010

The EU this week outlined energy infrastructure priorities for the next two decades. Strategically, the plans involve “corridors” for the transport of energy and include the goals of reducing dependence on Russia, increasing the security of energy supply, and meeting established climate-protection...

Nuclear Waste Rules for Europe

12 November 2010

Deep burial of nuclear waste is seen by the European Commission as being the best final dispoal strategy for Europe, and exports of nuclear waste for final disposal will be banned. The Commission has proposed a new Council Directive, under the Euratom Treaty, which will require Member States to...

2011 Priorities: Recovery & Jobs

01 November 2010

The European Commission has announced that economic recovery and jobs are among its top priorities for 2011, along with security and justice issues, a modernised budget, and the EU’s role internationally. As it does every autumn, the Commission has published its annual work programme for the...

Environmental Taxes on Lorries

22 October 2010

EU governments will soon be able to impose environmental taxes on lorries that use their motorways. Member States have finally voted on this and other changes to the current EU "Eurovignette" legislation that were proposed a couple of years ago. (The legislative proposal will now go...

EU to Regulate Offshore Drilling

17 October 2010

EU countries and oil and gas companies will soon have to comply with EU-wide rules on offshore drilling. The new rules will govern licensing, specific environmental and health and safety requirements, supervision and control, and disaster-related issues such as liability and available funding and...

New EU Innovation Strategy

08 October 2010

A coherent, business-oriented research and innovation policy is what the Commission says it has proposed with its newly presented Innovation Union policy paper. The Communication from the Commission sets out a strategy comprising what the Commission says are the key European, national and regional...

New Rules: Fruit Juices, Nectars

04 October 2010

The Commission has proposed changes to current EU law on fruit juices and “nectars” which among other things would completely ban sugar from fruit juices and would count tomatoes as a fruit. Differing rules are forseen for “nectars”, which in broad terms are juices to which sweeteners or water have...

Single European Railway Area

24 September 2010

The Commission has proposed a Directive that would establish a “Single European Railway Area”. It aims to revive the railway sector by ensuring better rail services, increasing competition in the railway market, and improving the framework for investment in rail. Technically, the proposed Directive...

EU to Regulate Short Selling

17 September 2010

The Commission has proposed a Regulation that it says will create a harmonised EU regulatory framework for short selling and credit default swaps (CDS). It would, amongst many things, give Member States and the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) the power to restrict the practice of...

Ahead: EU Body Scanner Rules

12 September 2010

A potential new EU legal framework for security scanners would likely lead to all EU airports being required to have security scanners (estimated to cost between EUR 100,000 and EUR 200,000 each). A new Communication from the Commission elaborates upon the need for an EU legal framework on the...

EU Transport Policy - Overview

03 September 2010

Transport policy is at the heart of EU integration and has been since the EU’s very beginnings. Today’s transport policy is advanced, and the vision for the future is sophisticated. The focus has shifted away from physically building a European infrastructure -- now largely complete -- to...

We've Added Transport!

03 September 2010

Major Service Expansion: EU Issue Tracker now covers EU Transport Policy as well. In a major new expansion of the service, those needing top-quality EU monitoring of Transport policy can now make use of our unrivalled EU monitoring and tracking expertise, combined with our unique know-how and...

August Update from the Team

30 July 2010

Many people will be slowing down a little during August, but EU Issue Tracker's legislative monitoring and tracking service—The Regulatory Radar—will of course continue non-stop, as always. Transport Coverage Coming Soon! And we are hard at work this summer preparing to add a whole new...

New EU Road Safety Strategy

24 July 2010

The Commission has announced that it is embarking on what it says is an ambitious path to substantially improved road safety. The way forward, according to the Commission, is outlined in a new Communication entitled ‘Towards a European road safety area: policy orientations on road safety 2011-2020’...

Member States Get GMO Powers

17 July 2010

Member States may soon have more powers to control the cultivation of GMOs in their territories. Commission initiatives that aim to make sweeping changes to the regulation of GMOs could hand back autonomy to Member States, allowing them the power to restrict or ban GMO cultivation as they see fit. ...

New EU Economic Governance?

02 July 2010

As a result of the worst economic crisis Europe has experienced for well over a generation, the EU embarked on what is billed as a major overhaul of its economic structures. As a part of this, the Commission has published a new policy paper (a “Communication”) on the needed changes to the EU’s...

The EU's Next Economic Strategy

25 June 2010

Starting from this year and continuing up until 2020, all EU Member States will be closely monitored by the EU Commission with regards to achieving specific policy targets such as increasing investment spending on research and development, raising the amount of people working, lowering the amount...

Food Information for Consumers

18 June 2010

“Traffic-light” labelling may soon be on its way out again if the European Parliament gets its way. The EP has also voted to require calorie information in calories instead of joules, implement a “Guideline Daily Amounts” system, require country-of-origin on meat and poultry packaging, and except...

Sustainability of Biofuels

12 June 2010

Economic operators in the area of biofuels will soon be able to adopt voluntary schemes to prove that their biofuels are sustainable. These voluntary schemes will have to comply with the sustainability criteria set out in the Renewable Energies Directive and be recognized by the European...

New Credit Rating Agency Rules

07 June 2010

The European Commission has proposed a new regulatory body to oversee credit rating agencies as part of its effort to tighten supervision of the financial system. According to a new proposal, which would amend the existing regulation on credit rating agencies, a new body called the European...

EU Construction Products Rules

30 May 2010

The design and EU-wide marketing and distribution of construction products should soon become simpler. The EU’s Construction Products Directive has taken another step towards completion of the revision currently passing through the EU Institutions. The Construction Products Directive is the...

Digital Agenda for Europe

21 May 2010

Achieving sustainable economic and social benefits from a digital single market based on high-speed internet is the core objective of the new Digital Agenda Action Plan launched by the European Commission on 19 May 2010. The Digital Agenda outlines seven priority areas for action in order to...

Future EU Energy Strategy

14 May 2010

The European Commission has launched a large consultation on the future of the EU’s energy policy for 2011-2020. The Commission intends to come forward with a stronger energy policy by presenting a medium-term strategy in an Action Plan on Energy Policy for 2011-2020 and a longer term vision...

Ban on Cyanide in Gold Mines?

09 May 2010

An EU-wide ban on the use of cyanide in mining technologies would lead to significant environment improvements, according to a European Parliament resolution. The Resolution, adopted in Parliament on the 5th May 2010, explicitly calls for a ban on the use of cyanide mining technologies in the EU by...

The EU's Clean Vehicles Strategy

30 April 2010

Improving internal combustion engines and introducing ultra-low carbon technologies will be the core objectives of the new European Strategy on clean and energy efficient vehicles. The strategy, presented by Commission on 28 April 2010, sets out the actions that will be undertaken by the EU to...

Carbon Allowance Auctioning

25 April 2010

Member States will be able to opt out of a single European platform for the auctioning of carbon allowances under draft proposals adopted by the Commission earlier this month. The Regulation, which will provide the rules on the timing, administration and other technical aspects of the auctioning of...

Technology & Energy Efficiency

16 April 2010

Innovative Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) such as ‘smart meters’ to monitor and optimise energy efficiency will soon be used to help the EU achieve its energy efficiency goals, if the recommendations of a Parliamentary Committee Report are taken into account. This Report for a...

Citizens Can Call for Legislation

08 April 2010

European citizens will soon be able to call upon the Commission to present legislative proposals on issues they feel need addressed. This so-called Citizen’s Initiative, foreseen in the Lisbon Treaty, will become a legal right as a result of a new legislative proposal from the Commission. Key...

Coming: Limit on CO2 from Vans

01 April 2010

The European Parliament’s Environment Committee has backed the Commission’s proposal to reduce CO2 emissions from light commercial vehicles to 175 g CO2/km by 2016 during an exchange of views in March. However, the Rapporteur (the author of Parliament’s Report on the proposal), Martin Callanan, did...

Food from Cloned Animals

25 March 2010

The EU Member States have taken the position that cloned animals and their offspring should be included in the scope of a Regulation on Novel Foods until separate legislation specifically on cloned animals can be proposed and adopted. This point is contained in the Council’s “Common Position” (the...

Committee Vote on Gas Supply

19 March 2010

The European Parliament’s Industry Research and Energy Committee has called for the installation of reverse-flows in key parts of Europe’s energy infrastructure. This was one of several key compromise amendments that were voted on in committee on 18 March 2010. The Committee’s Draft Report on the...

Transport by Inland Waterway

12 March 2010

The implementation of EU rules concerning statistics on goods transported by inland waterways has been positive, according to a new Commission Report. The Commission says that Regulation (EC) 1365/2006, which obliges Member States to collect statistics on goods transported by inland waterways, has...

Future of European Forestry

04 March 2010

The debate on forestry in Europe should be focused on how climate change is affecting the protection and management of forests, and on how EU policy should contribute more effectively to Member State initiatives. These were two of the main points contained in a Green Paper on Forest Protection,...

Sustainability of Biomass: Report

26 February 2010

Sustainability issues with regard to biomass are of greatest concern to highly diverse ecosystems and are also relevant to impact on atmospheric carbon. Furthermore, deforestation and forest degradation issues are more related to poor governance and forest management rather than to biomass as such....

More Scrutiny Powers for EU

17 February 2010

The European Commission has proposed a Regulation designed to better ensure the quality of statistical data on the excessive deficit procedure (EDP). This proposal comes in response to recent developments regarding, in particular, the Greek government deficit and its handling of debt statistics....

Biodiversity Beyond 2010

11 February 2010

The European Commission presented a Communication in January on an EU vision and target for Biodiversity beyond 2010. The Communication is in response to the fact that targets set by the Commission in 2001 to halt biodiversity loss by 2010 have not been met. The Commission believes that the...

New Pesticides Directive

25 January 2010

New EU legislation on the sustainable use of pesticides recently entered into force. The Pesticides Framework Directive 2009/128/EC, which became law in November 2009, aims to reduce the risks and impacts on human health and the environment related to the use of pesticides. The Directive also aims...

Intelligent Transport Systems

20 January 2010

The European Commission has proposed a Directive designed to accelerate the development of Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) in road transport. ITS is the application of advanced information and communication technologies in transport to improve safety and energy-efficiency and reduce transport...

Fishing Vessel Safety

13 January 2010

The European Commission has published a Report analysing the implementation of two Health & Safety Directives: dealing with fishing vessels and medical treatment on board, respectively (the Directives are Council Directive 93/103/EC on safety requirements on board fishing vessels and Council...

CO2 from Commercial Vehicles

06 January 2010

The European Commission has proposed a Regulation that would establish emission targets for new light commercial vehicles and that is also intended to create incentives for the automotive industry to invest in new, cleaner technologies. This will be the first EU-level legislation regulating CO2...

New Directive on Slaughter

21 December 2009

A new EU law governing slaughtering practices has been adopted. The new rules aim to further minimise suffering by animals at the time of slaughter and was triggered by the need to bring EU law into line with internationally agreed standards. It takes the form of a Council Regulation and came into...

Lisbon: Institutional Procedure

15 December 2009

The Lisbon Treaty entered into force on 1 December 2009. The Treaty is composed of two parts: the Treaty on the European Union (TEU) and the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU). It aims to enhance and streamline EU decision-making. The EU has been given legal personality,...

Sharp Objects in Health Care

14 December 2009

The European Commission has adopted a proposal aimed at protecting hospital and healthcare workers from injuries caused by sharp objects. This proposal for a Council Directive would achieve this by giving legal effect to the Framework Agreement signed on 17 July 2009 by HOSPEEM (European Hospital...

EP Resolution for Copenhagen

09 December 2009

The European Parliament has expressed its views, expectations and suggestions for the United Nations Conference on Climate Change in an Own-Initiative Resolution. World leaders have gathered at the conference in Copenhagen, which began on 07 December 2009, to negotiate a new international agreement...

Smoke-Free Environments

27 November 2009

The European Commission has adopted a proposal aimed at protecting people from exposure to tobacco smoke in indoor workplaces, indoor public places and public transport. This proposal is for a Council Recommendation, which seeks to achieve a non-binding commitment from Member States to implement...

Animal By-Products: Health

20 November 2009

The Council of Ministers and the European Parliament recently approved a new Regulation on animal by-products (ABPs), which is currently awaiting publication in the EU’s Official Journal. This proposal reviews and updates health rules concerning ABPs not intended for human consumption. It aims to...

Plant Protection Products

06 November 2009

The Council and the European Parliament recently adopted a Regulation on plant protection products (PPPs), which is currently awaiting publication in the EU’s Official Journal. The Regulation will ban a number of PPPs currently in use, while also providing a comprehensive list of products that are...

Food Affected by Chernobyl

22 October 2009

The Commission has proposed to extend agricultural import restrictions on affected goods. This is in response to evidence that certain products originating in countries affected by the Chernobyl accident still have radioactive caesium contamination that exceeds the maximum permitted levels (as laid...

Strategic Assessment

07 October 2009

The Strategic Environment Assessment, which assesses the effects of certain public plans and programmes on the environment, was introduced into EU law by Directive 2001/42/EC (the Strategic Environmental Assessment Directive). As required by the Directive, the Commission has adopted a Report on the...

Mine Safety Implementation

06 October 2009

The Commission recently published a report analysing the implementation of two very similar Health and Safety at Work Directives - 92/91/EEC (on mineral extraction through drilling) and 92/104/EEC (on surface and underground mineral extraction). These Directives were adopted in order to provide...

Security of Gas Supply

22 September 2009

The Commission has proposed a new Regulation which aims to safeguard the security of Europe’s gas supply. This decision has been taken in the context of geopolitical events, such as the recent Russian-Ukrainian gas crisis, which revealed certain inadequacies in Directive 2004/67/EC, the current...

Gender Equality at Work: Report

21 September 2009

This Report gives a snapshot of the implementation of Directive 2002/73/EC, which introduced many new requirements into EU law on the equal treatment of men and women. These included measures on access to employment, vocational training and promotion as well as requirements regulating the...

Food & Feed Imports: New Rules

26 August 2009

This Regulation, which entered into force on 16 August, establishes a list of feed and food of non-animal origin that should be subject to increased controls in order to improve food safety. It implements Regulation (EC) No 882/2004, which laid down rules on official controls of imports of feed and...

General Product Safety Report

29 July 2009

This Report reviews the implementation of the General Product Safety Directive (2001/95/EC) by Member States, and the success of the Rapid Alert System for non-food Consumer Products. Background The General Product Safety Directive was adopted on 3 December 2001 and entered into force on...

Extraction Solvents in Food

24 July 2009

This Directive, which was published in the EU’s Official Journal (OJ) and entered into force on 26 June 2009, recasts Council Directive 88/344/EEC. This means that it incorporates the original legislative measure and its amendments into one text, and also introduces new...

New Fuel Quality Directive

07 July 2009

The recently adopted Directive 2009/30/EC sets environmental requirements for petrol and diesel fuel in order to reduce their air pollutant emissions. These requirements consist of technical specifications for fuel content and binding targets to reduce fuels’ greenhouse gas emissions during their...

New Rules on Pregnant Workers

24 June 2009

This Proposed Directive aims to improve the protection offered to pregnant and nursing workers. The measure is expected to become law before the end of 2009. Background Directive 92/85/EEC established the right to a minimum of 14 weeks maternity leave and protected workers from being...

Residues of Veterinary Products

16 June 2009

This new Regulation aims to streamline and simplify the system of approving veterinary medicines and evaluating maximum residue limits of pharmacologically active substances in veterinary medicinal products. Background Regulation 2377/90/EEC established EU rules for maximum residue limits...

Promoting Renewable Energy

05 June 2009

This Directive on the promotion and use of renewable sources of energy was adopted by Council on 6th of April 2009. This measure is part of the EU’s 2008 Climate Change Package, which covers proposals on emissions trading, carbon capture storage and greenhouse gas emissions. Aim of the...

EU Seal Product Trade Ban

20 May 2009

This proposed Regulation, expected to be adopted by Council shortly, will place a ban on seal products imported to, exported from or transiting through the EU. Exemptions will be made for aboriginal communities in the Arctic and Subarctic regions and small-scale regulated hunts conducted for the...

Worker Mobility: Pensions

18 May 2009

This proposal would ensure that supplementary pension schemes can be easily transferred within and between Member States. EU law already provides for the transfer of state pension rights between Member States; the same rules however do not apply to supplementary pensions. The Commission proposes...

Feed Authorisation & Labelling

08 May 2009

This proposal would establish clear rules for the labelling and market authorisation of feed. It would simplify the authorisation procedure for placing feed on the market and specify the information that must be displayed on labels. Aims of the Proposal This proposal is part of the...

Review of Ship Pollution Rules

29 April 2009

This proposal would amend the 2005 Directive on Ship Source Pollution (2005/35/EC) by making it a criminal offence to cause ship-source pollution intentionally, recklessly or through serious negligence, and calls on Member States to implement necessary measures. Background Concern over...

Statistics on Pesticides

20 April 2009

This proposed Regulation would set rules for collecting data on the use and placing on the market of plant protection products, and make compliance with these rules mandatory. Main Objectives Calculating accurately the risk posed by plant protection products - preparations containing one...

EU Nuclear Safety Proposal

16 April 2009

This proposed Council Directive would improve and harmonise the safety standards of nuclear installations across the EU by establishing basic obligations and principles. Background The European Atomic Energy Community joined the Convention on Nuclear Safety (CNS) in 1994, committing itself...

Future Tyre Labelling Directive

09 April 2009

A proposal for an EU-wide, mandatory tyre-labelling system, part of the EU’s drive to reduce CO2 from transport, is currently before the European Parliament and Member States. The proposal would introduce rules for the labelling of different tyre types according to the parameters of rolling...

Financing for Energy Projects

27 March 2009

This legislative proposal would implement a component of the European Economic Recovery Plan (EEPR) by drawing up a stimulus package for key parts of the energy sector. It provides for a programme of investment for energy projects during 2009 and 2010. Background This proposal follows on from the...

Nanotech Legislative Review

25 March 2009

This Report reviews all legislation that applies to nanomaterials. It calls for further research into the nature and risk associated with nanomaterials and proposes that these products comply with health and environmental legislation currently in force to safeguard public health and...

Illegally Logged Timber

17 March 2009

Stopping illegal timbering is part of the international fight against the destruction of forests, a major cause of global warming. Illegal logging contributes massively to global deforestation, which is responsible for 20% of global greenhouse gasses emissions. Fighting illegal timbering is...

Upcoming Novel Foods Policy

06 March 2009

The EU wants to revise legislation on novel foods in order to improve food safety along the whole supply chain, a concept known as “from farm to fork”. The proposal for a Regulation also aims to take into consideration new novel food technologies that have been developed since Regulation (EC) No...

Mental Health in the Workplace

26 February 2009

Following the European Pact on Mental Health and Well-Being established in June 2008, the Commission’s Green Paper “Improving the mental health of the population - Towards a strategy on mental health for the European Union” and the recognition of the role of mental health in personal and...

Pharmacologically Active Substances

18 February 2009

MRLs are used as points of reference to establish marketing authorisations for veterinary medicinal products in food-producing animals and for the control of residues in food of animal origin. Pharmacologically active substances contained in food-producing animals must be assessed as safe following...

Energy Efficiency of Buildings

09 February 2009

The EU’s fight against climate change and its legislative efforts to promote energy efficiency are reflected in the Recast Energy Performance of Buildings Directive. This is an attempt to make buildings more energy efficient, as 40% of the EU’s energy consumption goes into the heating, cooling,...

Farm-to-Fork Food Safety

29 January 2009

The EU is currently putting in place a comprehensive legislative framework in order to maintain safety along the whole food chain, a concept known as "farm to fork". This initiative comes in response to several crises linked to products of animal origin which have threatened public...

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