The EPA has published the National Inspection Plan for Domestic Waste Water Treatment Systems 2013 and the European Commission has announced that Ireland has now adopted all the measures necessary to ensure compliance with the Court of Justice judgment in Case C‑188/08. The Plan outlines how septic tanks and waste water treatment systems will be...

The European Commission’s environment department has launched the first of four consultations on new bans under the RoHS directive that deals with hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment. This is the start of a consultation process that will end in November 2013 with the publication of a final report on a methodology to identify...

The European Investment Fund and Microfinance Ireland have signed a guarantee agreement aimed at supporting micro-enterprises and self-employed entrepreneurs in Ireland. The guarantee is given under Progress Microfinance, which is managed by the European Investment Fund on behalf of the European Commission and the European Investment Bank. Microfinance Ireland can provide loans of less than...

Ireland has named securing agreement with MEPs on Europe’s seventh environmental action plan (7EAP) as the top environmental priority of its EU six-month presidency term. The Irish presidency also aims to ask for council conclusions on a new EU climate adaptation strategy, which the European Commission is likely to bring forward soon following on from...

Progress towards environmental sustainability can only be measured and monitored in a reliable way if robust data, indicators and tools are available.  Policy targets and associated indicators are also essential for constructive action to address the long-term challenge of sustainability in Europe. Sustainable development aims to improve quality of life without compromising the well-being of...

Possible plans for a harmonised approach to so-called ‘life cycle assessments‘ of a wide range of products have taken a step forward. It comes after the European Commission revealed that it will launch a pilot project early in the new year which is designed to pave the way for life cycle assessments (LCA). In a life...

The European Commission has outlined its plans to change EU legislation on environmental impact assessments (EIAs) –  to replace Directive 2011/92/EU. EU figures show that there, on average, are up to 26,000 EIAs across the bloc each year, and that the duration of the process is generally more than 11 months. There is mounting concern among...

The European Commission has confirmed it will limit the amount of crop-based biofuels used in transport in what amounts to a major U-turn on its previous policy. The EU’s target of producing 10 per cent of transport energy from renewable sources by the end of the decade was likely to be met primarily through biofuels...

The European Commission’s Directorate General for Research and Innovation has launched a competition to find the most innovative public authorities in Europe. I Up to nine prizes of €100,000 will be awarded to successful, already running public initiatives that benefit citizens, firms or the education and research sector. The purpose of the prize is to encourage...

A new report on how Member States manage their municipal waste shows startling differences across the EU. The report grades the 27 Member States against 18 criteria, using green, orange and red flags in areas such as total waste recycled, pricing of waste disposal, and infringements of European legislation. The resulting scoreboard forms part of...