European Commission

Commission Refers Ireland to Court Over Incomplete Environmental Impact Assessment Laws

by

The European Commission is urging Ireland to bring its national legislation on assessing the effects of projects on the environment into line with EU rules. Despite considerable interaction with the Commission, legislation on environmental impact assessments in Ireland still contains shortcomings. A fundamental objective of the Environmental Impact Assessment Directive (EIA Directive) is to ensure … Read more

€34.8 Million in New EC Funding to Bring Environmental Solutions to Market

by

The European Commission is launching a €34.8 million call for eco-innovation projects. Businesses and entrepreneurs from across Europe can apply for funding to help bring novel environmental projects to the market. The call is open to eco-innovative products, techniques, services and processes that aim to prevent or reduce environmental impacts, or which contribute to the … Read more

Irish Start-up Wins €2.8 Million From EU Commission For Biorefining Project

by

Galway-based greentech company, Cellulac, has been approved for a record €2.8 million grant from the European Commission to commercialise its biorefining technology that converts agricultural waste into lactic acid. Cellulac is a high-potential start up client of Enterprise Ireland which supported the company in its bid for this significant grant. Lactic acid is used in … Read more

Some EU Member States are Making Waste a Resource

by

Top performing EU Member States have recycling rates of up to 70 % and bury virtually nothing, whilst others still landfill more than three-quarters of their waste. A new report from the European Commission explains that by combining economic instruments the best performers have turned waste from a problem into a resource. A mix of landfilling … Read more

EU Guidelines to Limit Soil Sealing

by

Soil sealing – the covering of the ground by an impermeable material – is one of the main causes of soil degradation in the EU. Soil sealing often affects fertile agricultural land, puts biodiversity at risk, increases the risk of flooding and water scarcity and contributes to global warming. New guidelines on best practice to … Read more

Bristol, Copenhagen and Frankfurt Shortlisted for 2014 European Green Capital Award

by

Bristol, Copenhagen and Frankfurt have been chosen as the three finalists in the competition to find Europe’s Green Capital for 2014. They have been selected from the 18 cities that applied for the 2014 award. The finalists were proposed by an independent panel of experts. Four cities have been awarded the title of European Green … Read more

European Commission Wants Your Views on Priority Objectives for the Environment

by

The European Commission has launched a public consultation to gather views on the 7th EU Environmental Action Programme (7th EAP), which will set out priority objectives to be pursued up until 2020. The consultation remains open until 1 June. In recent months, the Commission has adopted a number of strategic initiatives on environment policy – … Read more

Environmental Impact Assessment to be More User Friendly

by

In an attempt to help Member States’ authorities and developers manage the environmental consequences of construction projects more easily, the European Commission has brought together all existing EU legislation governing environmental impact assessments. The original Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Directive and its three subsequent revisions have been combined to create a more compact, clearly translated … Read more

Commission Proposes Strategy For Sustainable Bioeconomy in Europe

by

The European Commission has adopted a strategy to shift the European economy towards greater and more sustainable use of renewable resources. With the world population approaching 9 billion by 2050 and natural resources finite, Europe needs renewable biological resources for secure and healthy food and feed, as well as for materials, energy, and other products. … Read more

European Commission Probes Anti-competitive Practices in Electricity Sector

by

European Commission officials undertook unannounced inspections at the premises of companies active in managing power exchanges in several Member States on February 7th 2012. Power exchanges provide services that facilitate electricity trading at wholesale level. The Commission has concerns that the companies concerned may have violated European antitrust rules that prohibit cartels and restrictive business … Read more