Environmental legislation in the EEA

Water

The main legislation in the area of water protection is the Water Framework Directive (2000/60). Its objective is to have cleaner rivers, lakes, groundwater and coastal waters.

The Water Framework Directive sets out objectives for the quality of water (ecological status, quantitative status, chemical status and protected area objectives). EFTA States are required to prepare river basin management plans which set out how the objectives set out in the Directive for river basins will be reached within the applicable time scales.

Air

EEA rules relating to air are intended to protect the environment and human health from air pollution.

EEA air legislation regulates maximum levels of pollutants in ambient air. The rules are based on the Ambient Air Quality Directive (96/62). Maximum values for specific polluting substances are also set out in various "daughter" directives to the Ambiant Air Quality Directive.

EEA air legislation also regulates emissions of certain pollutants by industry.

Waste

The EEA's approach to waste management is based on three principles, known as the “waste hierarchy”:

• Waste prevention
• Recycling and reuse
• Improving final disposal and monitoring

The rules in force in the waste sector regulate the treatment of different types of waste through three main framework directives: the Waste Framework Directive, the Hazardous Waste Directive and the Directive on Shipment of Waste.

The rules also regulate waste treatment operations: landfills and incineration.

They also regulate specific waste streams, such as waste from electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), end of life vehicles (ELV), packaging waste, PCBs/PCTs, sewage sludge, titanium dioxide and waste oils.

Industrial emissions

The IPPC Directive lays down the main principles for the permitting and control of industrial installations. The IPPC Directive is based on an integrated approach and the application of best available techniques in order to achieve a high level of environmental protection, while taking into account the costs and benefits (BAT).

Sectoral directives lay down specific minimum requirements for certain industrial activities, such as large combustion plants, waste incineration, activities using organic solvent and titanium dioxide production.

The European Pollution Register and Transfer Register (E-PRTR) is a register of industrial emissions into air, water and land, as well as of off-site transfers of waste. It contains data for the 30 EEA States and is accessible to the public on its dedicated website.

Environmental impact assessment

The EEA Agreement provides for environmental impact assessments, which must be carried out for certain individual projects (industrial plants, motorways, etc.) as well as for plans, programmes and policies.

Environmental impact assessment is a procedure that ensures that the environmental implications of decisions are assessed before those decisions are made. This involves an analysis of the likely effect on the environment of a project or programme and the drafting of a report. A public consultation on the report is then carried out. Both the report and any comments must be taken into account when the final decision is adopted.

Biotechnology

EEA law regulates the release of genetically modified organisms (GMO). It lays down the rules governing the system of approval of marketing and release of GMO's. The rules apply, in particular, to the deliberate release into the environment of GMOs and the import, distribution and industrial processing of genetically modified food and animal feed. They also regulate the contained use of genetically modified micro-organisms.

Other issues

EEA law also regulates other aspects of environmental protection, including:

• Liability for environmental damage
• Industrial risk (SEVESO)
• Noise
• Eco-management and audit schemes
• Eco-labelling

However, certain areas regulated at EU level have not been included into the EEA Agreement. They include:

• Directives on nature protection (Habitats and Birds Directives)
• Certain directives in the area of water protection (bathing water, shellfish waters, surface fresh waters and fish waters Directives)

Relevant links

• European Commission website on environment
• Annex XX to the EEA Agreement
• Annex II to the EEA Agreement
• European Pollution Register and Transfer Register