Search
Reducing microplastic pollution from plastic pellet losses
Once dispersed in the environment, microplastic particles under 5 mm in size are extremely difficult to remove and very persistent. Today, they are present in the air, soil, freshwater, seas, oceans, plants and animals, and in several components of the human diet. Human exposure to microplastic particles is therefore widespread, raising concerns about potential health impacts. On 16 October 2023, the European Commission proposed a regulation to tackle microplastic pollution resulting from losses ...
Revision of the Directive on investigation of accidents in the maritime transport sector
On 1 June 2023, the European Commission published a proposal seeking to update the directive on investigation of accidents in maritime transport, to take into account changes in the international maritime regulatory environment and technological developments in the maritime sector in recent years. The proposal also seeks to achieve an improved concentration of resources and to address shortages in expertise. Within the European Parliament, the Committee on Transport and Tourism (TRAN) handled the ...
Single European Sky 2+ package
The Single European Sky (SES) initiative is about making EU airspace less fragmented and improving air traffic management in terms of safety, capacity, cost-efficiency and the environment. Its current regulatory framework is based on two legislative packages: SES I (adopted in 2004), which set up the principal legal framework, and SES II (adopted in 2009), designed to tackle substantial air traffic growth, increase safety, and reduce costs and delays and the impact of air traffic on the environment ...
Issues at stake in view of the COP29 UN Climate Change Conference in Baku-Scaling up climate action and support
This study provides an overview of the status of international climate negotiations and issues at stake at the COP29 climate change conference. It also addresses the current implementation of the Paris Agreement, the climate policies of key Parties and the stakeholders in the negotiations. This document was provided by the Policy Department for Economic, Scientific and Quality of Life Policies at the request of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI).
Confirmation hearings of the Commissioners-designate: Jessika Roswall – Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy
Jessika Roswall is a politician from the Moderate Party in Sweden, affiliated to the European People's Party (EPP). Prior to her nomination for the post of Commissioner, Roswall was Sweden's minister for European affairs, from October 2022 to September 2024. Between 2010 and 2022, she served as a member of the Swedish Parliament, holding the position of second vice-president of its EU affairs committee from 2019 to 2022. Roswall was also a member of the 'transparency councils' of the Swedish Consumer ...
The Kunming-Montreal Biodiversity Framework (GBF), adopted in 2022, aims to drive global biodiversity conservation through 23 targets and four overarching goals. As COP16 approaches in October 2024, the study looks at overall progress in implementation since COP15 and examines the major issues at stake, including a review of the state of implementation at national level, establishing a financial mechanism and adopting a multilateral agreement on digital sequence information. This document was ...
Environment and the common agricultural policy
The EU's common agricultural policy (CAP) has, over several decades and through successive reforms, devoted increased attention to the environment. This has led to the current CAP having a 'green architecture', which includes both mandatory elements – to which farmers must adhere in exchange for a full amount of direct payments – and voluntary elements – bringing extra payments for farmers engaging in farming practices that go beyond the basic requirements. Mandatory requirements, also referred to ...
Critical raw materials act
The EU's ambition to become a climate-neutral economy by 2050, and its ability to sustain the green and digital transition and achieve strategic autonomy, all rely heavily on reliable, secure and resilient access to critical raw materials (CRMs). On 16 March 2023, the Commission put forward a proposal for a regulation on CRMs. It introduced the concept of strategic raw materials (SRMs), which are key for some strategic technologies and vulnerable to shortages. The general objective of the proposed ...
Revision of EU pharmaceutical legislation
On 10 April 2024, the European Parliament adopted its position at first reading on two European Commission proposals to revise the EU's pharmaceutical legislation. The revision seeks to enhance the security of supply of medicines, making them more available, accessible and affordable across EU countries, while supporting the attractiveness of the EU pharmaceutical industry by fostering research and innovation. The 'pharmaceutical package' includes proposals for a new directive and a new regulation ...
Revising rules on packaging and packaging waste
In November 2022, the European Commission presented a proposal for a revision of the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive (PPWD – Directive 94/62/EC). During its April II 2024 plenary session, Parliament is due to vote on the political agreement reached by Council and Parliament negotiators on 4 March 2024.