The European Commission adopted on 12 May amendments to its state aid rules to provide public access to environmental justice in relation to EU state aid decisions. To this end, the Commission has revised the rules allowing non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to request the Commission to review certain state aid decisions to determine whether they infringe […]
Zero Pollution: New EU rules enter into force for cleaner air by 2030
The revised Ambient Air Quality Directive entered into force on Tuesday (10 Dec), aligning 2030 EU air quality standards more closely with World Health Organization recommendations. It is an important step toward better protecting Europeans’ health and moving forward on the path to zero pollution in our environment by 2050. The revised Directive comes with a […]
EU adopts rules to better measure the environment’s contribution to the economy
On 5 November, the Council formally adopted the amended regulation on European environmental economic accounts, the EU’s common statistical system which brings together economic and environmental information. The new rules extend the scope of the European environmental economic accounts, introducing forest accounts, ecosystem accounts, and environmental subsidies accounts. The amended regulation aims to provide better information for the […]
Council adopts new rules for more efficient urban waste water treatment
The Council gave the final green light for a revised EU directive on urban wastewater treatment. The revised directive extends the scope to smaller agglomerations, covers more pollutants, including micropollutants, and contributes to energy neutrality. The new rules are one of the key deliverables under the EU’s zero-pollution action plan. More agglomerations and more pollutants […]
European Parliament approves more efficient and greener EU airspace
On Tuesday, MEPs paved the way for improved management of European airspace, enabling more direct flights and fewer delays, and supporting climate neutrality. The reform of Single European Sky rules, already agreed upon in negotiations with the Council last March, strengthens national performance plans for air navigation services and will help to improve EU airspace […]
European Commission adopts regulation exempting European farmers from set-aside rules
This follows the Commission’s proposal presented on 31 January, and discussions with Member States in committee meetings. The Regulation enters into force today, 14 February, and will apply retroactively from 1 January for one year, i.e. until 31 December 2024. The partial exemption accommodates several requests for more flexibility, as requested by Member States to better […]
MEPs want to tackle inconsistent rules for airline carry-on luggage
In a resolution on uniform standards for airline carry-on luggage, MEPs argue that consistent EU rules on sizing and pricing are needed. The text, adopted with a show hands, highlights citizens’ concerns about the inconvenience and discomfort caused by inconsistent rules on airline carry-on luggage. EU legislation on air passenger rights should be revised to […]
Council adopts new rules to cut deforestation worldwide
The Council gave the final go-ahead to a regulation that aims to minimise the risk of deforestation and forest degradation associated with products that are placed on or exported from the EU market. The EU is a large consumer and trader of commodities and products that play a substantial part in deforestation. The new rules […]
The European Commission proposes rules on the transfer of criminal proceedings between Member States in the face of increasing cross-border crime
Increasing cross-border crime has led to more and more cases where several Member States have jurisdiction to prosecute the same case. Parallel or multiple prosecutions can be inefficient and ineffective, but also possibly detrimental to the rights of the individuals concerned as a person may not be prosecuted or punished for the same offence twice. […]