Edie environmental case law summary February 2006

This month Edie News and Semple Fraser team up to bring readers the latest on legal cases which impact on environmental industries in the UK, Europe and further afield. This Germany faces Belgium and Germany falls foul of the EC for failing to fully protect its endangered species, the UK gets rapped for failing to carry out adequate EIAs and Italy's attempts to monitor air pollution are questioned. In the UK a water company tussles with the EA and it's bad news for some sufferers of industrial asbestos exposure.


  • Portugal falls behind on water directive
    Portugal has been rapped for failing to add major water regulations to its statue books.
  • UK in breach of EIA obligations
    The UK has been found to have breached its obligations to carry out environmental impact assessments.
  • Italy quizzed over water directive
    Italy his found itself in the dock over failure to write the Water Framework Directive onto its statute books.
  • Italy fails to report air quality measurement methods
    Failure to fully report its methods for monitoring air quality has landed Italy before the European Court of Justice.
  • Germany falls foul of EC for failing threatened species
    The European Commission has taken Germany to court for failure to observe rules on environmental impact assessments.
  • Parliament and Commission clash over bromide ban
    The European Parliament and Commission are taking a disagreements over a ban on hazardous flame retardants to the courts.
  • Finland fails to adopt emissions trading laws
    Finland has been found to be in breach of the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Directive because it has failed to transpose it into national law.
  • EA and water firm face off in court
    A water company has argued it does not need an EA licence to carry out work on its sewage treatment plants.
  • Asbestos illness does no harm – Judge
    Those hoping to claim for compensation for developing an asbestos-related disease that thickens the lung lining are set for disappointment.
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