The Eco-innovation initiative bridges the gap between research and the market. It helps good ideas for innovative products, services and processes that protect the environment become fully-fledged commercial prospects, ready for use by business and industry.  One interesting project recognizes REACH requirements relating to Chromium due to come into force in a few years time:...

What is blue energy?  Blue energy – or ocean energy – covers all technologies to harvest the renewable energy of our seas and oceans other than offshore wind (a Communication on offshore wind energy has already been adopted in 2008). Ocean energy can be harvested in many forms:  Wave energy depends on wave height, speed, length,...

The new LIFE Regulation has been published in the Official Journal of the European Union, the official record of EU legislation. The Regulation – which was published on 20 December 2013 – establishes the Environment and Climate Action sub-programmes of the LIFE Programme for the next funding period, 2014–2020. The budget for the period is...

The environmental impacts caused by the generation and treatment of waste are raising serious concerns. As waste generation also represents an inefficient use of valuable resources, prevention and better management of waste is one of the top priorities of the EU’s sustainable development strategy. Although the magnitude of the different waste streams varies across European...

Ireland submitted its first National Implementation Report  under the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters (known as the Aarhus Convention) to the secretariat of the Aarhus Convention on 31st December 2013. The Aarhus Convention lays down a set of basic...

This book offers a comprehensive snapshot of key environmental trends in OECD member countries since the early 1990s. It is organised by issues such as: climate change air pollution biodiversity and water resources waste water wastewater The report reveals big differences in environmental trends in different countries. It confirms that much more needs to be...

The EU Waste Framework Directive provides the legislative framework for the collection, transport, recovery and disposal of waste, and includes a common definition of waste. The directive requires all member states to take the necessary measures to ensure waste is recovered or disposed of without endangering human health or causing harm to the environment and includes permitting, registration...

Don’t shoot the messenger – We have listed below the position presented in an article which we saw on the European Parliament website.  Whats your view? “New EU-rules on public procurement will ensure better quality and value for money when public authorities buy works, goods or services, thanks to new award criteria which will put...

The EPA has prepared Guidance on the Authorisation of Direct Discharges to Groundwater. This proposed guidance addresses direct discharges to groundwater from point sources that may have the potential to cause pollution. It supplements the earlier report published by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) entitled “Guidance on the Authorisation of Discharges to Groundwater” (EPA, 2011) which...

Does anybody know of a business in the current economic climate which is not conscious of cost.  Many businesses are unaware of how significantly waste can impact on their bottom line. Whereas, all businesses should always strive to get the best possible contract from their suppliers, they should also be aware of legal liabilities which...