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During its April II session, Parliament is expected to adopt its first-reading position on a proposal aimed at preventing plastic pellet losses to reduce microplastic pollution. The Council has yet to agree its position.

In October 2022, under the European Green Deal, the European Commission tabled a proposal for a recast of the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive. Dating back to 1991, and instrumental to the achievement of European Union water policy objectives, the directive needs to be updated and adapted to new challenges and realities. The recast proposal would introduce new obligations to do more to control pollution due to rainwater, impose stricter standards for nutrient removal and require advanced treatment ...

Highly diverse, soils host more than 25 % of all biodiversity and are the second largest carbon pool on the planet. During its first April 2024 session, the European Parliament is expected to adopt its position at first reading on a European Commission proposal aimed at establishing the first-ever EU-wide common framework on soils.

Currently, there is no EU-wide legislation specifically on soil, although many policy instruments relevant to soil protection are in place. Under the EU biodiversity strategy for 2030, part of the European Green Deal, the European Commission presented a new EU soil strategy for 2030, with the aim of having all EU soil ecosystems in a healthy condition by 2050. To achieve this objective, on 5 July 2023 it tabled a proposal for a soil monitoring and resilience directive, laying down measures for monitoring ...

In December 2022, the European Commission proposed a revision of the Regulation on the classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures, one of the two cornerstones of the EU's framework regulating chemicals. The revision, announced in the EU chemicals strategy for sustainability, notably seeks to identify and classify hazardous chemicals more comprehensively; improve communication on chemical hazards and the notification of relevant information to poison centres for emergency health ...

During its March plenary session, the European Parliament is due to vote on the provisional political agreement reached with the Council on updated EU rules to prevent and control pollution from industry. The agreement, endorsed by the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) on 11 January 2024, substantially amends the text originally proposed by the European Commission.

Covering some 52 000 large agro-industrial installations EU-wide, the Industrial Emissions Directive is the main EU instrument regulating industrial pollutant emissions. The proposal for a revision, tabled in April 2022, seeks to bring it into line with the EU's zero pollution ambition, energy, climate and circular economy policy goals under the European Green Deal. The main changes include expanding its scope, strengthening permit requirements, and adding measures to foster innovation. Stakeholders ...

The European Green Deal envisages a review of measures addressing pollution from large industrial installations, with a view to aligning existing legislation with the EU's zero pollution ambition, and energy, climate and circular economy policy goals. On 5 April 2022, the European Commission tabled a proposal to revise the Industrial Emissions Directive, the main European Union instrument regulating pollutant emissions from industry, together with a proposal to revise the Regulation establishing ...

During its February II plenary session, the European Parliament is expected to vote on the provisional agreement reached in trilogue on the 'nature restoration law', which aims to bring degraded ecosystems back to health across the EU. The agreement, endorsed by the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) on 29 November 2023, substantially amends the text originally proposed by the European Commission.

On 17 November 2021, the European Commission tabled a proposal to revise EU rules on shipments of waste. The proposed regulation seeks to ease shipments of waste for reuse and recycling in the EU, to support the transition to a circular economy; ensure that waste exported from the EU is managed in an environmentally sound manner in the destination countries; and step up enforcement to counteract illegal shipments of waste. While supporting the proposed streamlining and digitalisation of procedures ...