European Union: Environmental Law

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Environmental law articles, insights, podcasts, videos and webinars from expert sources across the legal world. Explore insights covering topics such as clean air/pollution, climate change, environmental law and waste management.
Article
Call for contributions by the European Commission on the EU Regulation on the balanced approach to noise pollution at EU airports
The European Commission has opened a consultation to evaluate the effectiveness of EU Regulation No 598/2014, which establishes a procedural framework for managing noise pollution at major airports across the European Union. Stakeholders including airport operators, air carriers, environmental organizations, and aviation authorities have until 19 November 2026 to submit their contributions on whether the regulation has achieved its objectives and remains fit for purpose.
Luxembourg Environment
CL
CMS Luxembourg
Article
Greenwashing Enforcement Has Arrived: What The EU's New Fast Fashion Rules Signal For All Consumer-Facing Businesses
The EU's Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation has banned the destruction of unsold apparel and footwear from July 2026, forcing retailers to pivot from recycling and disposal to donation, resale and reuse strategies. With mandatory public reporting on unsold stock disposal and stricter policing of environmental marketing claims now in force, consumer-facing businesses across Ireland and the EU face a fundamental shift in how they manage inventory, report waste, and communicate sustainability creden
Ireland Environment
RL
RDJ LLP
Article
Abierta consulta pública sobre el Real Decreto por el que se regulan los requisitos de sostenibilidad energética, medioambiental y de resiliencia y soberanía digital aplicables a los centros de datos
El Gobierno español ha iniciado la tramitación urgente de un Real Decreto que establece requisitos de sostenibilidad energética, medioambiental y soberanía digital para centros de datos. ¿Cómo afectarán estas nuevas regulaciones a los operadores de centros de datos que buscan conectarse a la red eléctrica española? El proyecto condiciona los permisos de conexión al cumplimiento de estrictos criterios de eficiencia energética y uso de energías renov
Spain Environment
Gómez-Acebo & Pombo
Article
Breaking News: Europäische Kommission veröffentlicht den Entwurf der Vergabeverordnung und schreibt damit das Vergaberecht neu
Johannes Stalzer is a legal professional specializing in public procurement, environmental law, data protection, and administrative law. With extensive experience across multiple national law firms and Schoenherr, he brings expertise in IT, technology law, energy, and telecommunications sectors. His career spans over two decades, including partnership roles and comprehensive legal practice in Vienna.
Austria Government
SA
Schoenherr Attorneys at Law
Article
Towards A Single Market For Circularity: What The Circular Economy Act Is Likely To Deliver.
Have you ever thought of the lifecycle of your office chair? Funnily enough, it’s rather straight forward - once the raw materials are extracted and the chair is manufactured and distributed, it will be used for 5-10 years (if you are lucky), and then into the trash it goes. That’s just a small example of the traditional “take-make-waste” model which has been deemed as unsustainable and the transition to a circular economy has become increasingly urgent for Europe - a system designed to eliminate waste and keep resources in use for as long as possible.
Cyprus Environment
EN
Elias Neocleous & Co LLC
Article
PPWR In Der Anwendung: Was Die Neuen FAQ Klären
Die EU-Verpackungsverordnung (PPWR) entfaltet seit August 2026 unmittelbare Rechtswirkungen in allen EU-Mitgliedstaaten. Die Europäische Kommission hat mit ihrer zweiten FAQ-Auflage wichtige Klarstellungen zur Rollenzuordnung, Erzeugerverantwortung bei Eigenmarken und Transportverpackungen sowie zum behördlichen Vollzug geliefert. Unternehmen müssen ihre Position in der Wertschöpfungskette präzise bestimmen und die damit verbundenen Compliance-Pflichten erfüllen.
European Union Commercial
PL
PwC Legal Germany
Article
De PPWR komt eraan: wat betekent de nieuwe verpakkingswetgeving voor de food- & beveragesector?
De Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) introduceert vanaf 2026 verplichtingen voor producenten, importeurs en distributeurs in de food- en beveragesector. Met nieuwe eisen rond recycleerbaarheid, gerecycleerd materiaal en verpakkingsontwerp moeten ondernemingen hun verpakkingsportfolio en leveranciersketen nu al kritisch evalueren om tijdig compliant te zijn met de ingrijpende regelgeving die vanaf 2030 volledig van kracht wordt.
Belgium Environment
ML
Monard Law
Article
The PPWR Is Coming: What Does The New Packaging Legislation Mean For The Food & Beverage Sector?
The European Union's Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation introduces sweeping changes for food and beverage businesses, establishing new compliance categories, recyclability standards, and phase-out timelines. Understanding which role your company plays—producer, importer, or distributor—determines your specific obligations under this comprehensive framework.
Belgium Environment
ML
Monard Law
Article
Offshore Update: General Scheme Of Marine Protected Areas Legislation Published
The Irish Government has published the General Scheme of the Maritime Area Planning (Marine Protected Areas) (Amendment) Bill 2026, which would integrate marine protected area designation into Ireland's existing maritime spatial planning framework. This legislative proposal aims to protect 30% of Irish waters by 2030 while establishing new compliance obligations for public bodies and consultation mechanisms for stakeholders with maritime interests.
Ireland Environment
AC
Arthur Cox
Article
Belgium Transposes The EmpCo Directive: Consumer Law Gets Tougher On Greenwashing
Belgium has transposed the EU's EmpCo Directive into national law, introducing stricter rules against greenwashing and misleading environmental claims. The new legislation expands the blacklist of unfair commercial practices and imposes additional pre-contractual information obligations on businesses. How will these changes impact companies making sustainability claims and selling products with digital elements?
Belgium Consumer
A
Altius
Article
European Court Issues Key Ruling On AA And AA Screening
The Court of Justice of the European Union has ruled that appropriate assessments of plans or projects affecting special protection areas cannot be validly conducted without pre-established site-specific conservation objectives. This landmark judgment addresses whether conservation objectives are a prerequisite for environmental impact assessments under the Habitats Directive, with significant implications for development consent procedures across the EU.
Ireland Environment
WF
William Fry
Article
EU Commission Completes Deforestation Regulation Simplification Package
The European Commission has finalized its simplification package for the EU Deforestation Regulation, introducing significant changes to product coverage and operational procedures. The package includes modifications to the list of regulated products, technical updates to the Information System, and multilingual guidance documentation. These developments represent the Commission's response to feedback from Member States and affected industries seeking more streamlined compliance processes.
European Union Environment
JD
Jones Day
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