The EU’s highest court has ruled that member states have discretion on whether or not they require individuals requesting public access to environmental information to provide their legal names and addresses ⬇️

The European Chemicals Agency and European Food Safety Authority are set to begin work on assessing the environmental fate of ‘forever chemical’ TFA, following a request from the European Commission ⬇️

Renew Europe’s president has told the European Commission that provisionally applying the EU-Mercosur trade agreement ahead of MEPs’ approval risks backfiring ⬇️

ANALYSIS: Courts across Europe will be busy with numerous environmental cases this year, with climate litigation coming to a head and diversifying, lawsuits over bottom trawling proliferating and continuing scrutiny over compliance with water, waste and nature laws ⬇️

The EU executive has backtracked on earlier assurances that the European Parliament’s consent would be required prior to signing the EU-Mercosur trade agreement, announcing today that it would be sealed next week after national capitals unilaterally endorsed the provisional application of the deal ⬇️

Cumbersome and “complex” requirements for impact assessments and public consultations could be scrapped as part of the European Commission’s upcoming revision of its internal lawmaking rules ⬇️

LEAK: Tentatively final draft rules for calculating recycled content in PET bottles, distributed to national capitals in late December, provisionally exclude plastic recyclate from abroad from counting towards EU targets ⬇️ www.endseurope.com/article/1944...

The Commission president is aiming to placate national capitals resisting the EU’s trade deal with the Mercosur bloc by offering front-loaded income support payments for farmers ⬇️

The EU executive has tabled a proposal to place the EU’s carbon border tax on imported products with high metal content such as washing machines ⬇️

Generous emission credit schemes and tweaks to CO2 reduction standards will allow car makers to reduce their emission cuts, the European Commission has confirmed ⬇️

LEAK: The EU executive is sketching out a “stepwise” implementation of PFAS restrictions in food containers under the EU’s packaging and packaging waste rules, with guidance suggesting only partial enforcement of legal limits ⬇️

The European Commission has proposed changes to EU nature rules through a new regulation to ensure that the “occasional killing” of protected species does not hold back strategically important projects ⬇️

LEAK: The EU executive is planning to drop obligations for site-specific environmental and safety assessments under the Industrial Emissions Directive, as part of its 'environmental omnibus’ ⬇️

LEAK: The European Commission is set to propose reducing permitting times for energy infrastructure, by simplifying procedures where environmental impacts are “limited” ⬇️

The EU Council and Parliament have concluded talks to regulate plants produced with novel genetic techniques like conventionally bred varieties, dispensing with any labelling requirements as long as the genomic tweaks are not pesticidal ⬇️

Germany has urged the European Commission to tear up the 2035 tailpipe emissions ban under an imminent legislative review, while calling for a broader reform of EU emission standards to avoid looming fines for carmakers failing to cut emissions ⬇️

The EU executive has said that the “urgency” which justified a rushed adoption of the first ‘omnibus’ proposal nine months ago still remains, as it prepares another batch of legislative simplifications ⬇️

EXCLUSIVE: Valdis Dombrovskis has sought to include the EU’s flagship nature restoration rules in the upcoming environmental ‘omnibus’ simplification package, leading to a potential political deadlock delaying the file ⬇️

EXCLUSIVE: Valdis Dombrovskis has sought to include the EU’s flagship nature restoration rules in the upcoming environmental ‘omnibus’ simplification package, leading to a potential political deadlock delaying the file ⬇️

Political groups have failed to reach a deal on proposed amendments to the EU’s nascent anti-deforestation law, after the conservatives refused to budge on their ambitions to mirror the member states’ stance ⬇️

Member states have agreed on their negotiating position for revisions to the EU’s anti-deforestation rules, which would see implementation pushed back and further simplification measures introduced ⬇️

The Danish presidency has tabled a fresh compromise text on the EU’s anti-deforestation rules that would require a review next year to cut the administrative burden of the law ⬇️

Green groups have stepped up efforts to banish fossil fuel companies from political decision-making processes, as several EU member states maintained industry representatives within their official delegations to the UN climate summit ⬇️

Lawmakers from across political groups have joined forces to seek a legal opinion on the EU’s trade agreement with the Mercosur bloc, alleging that it may breach principles of “sincere cooperation” and contravene EU law ⬇️

Lawmakers have adopted a formal stance on proposals to cut the administrative burden of the EU’s sustainable reporting rules, with the European Parliament’s lead negotiator claiming that the move is the biggest cost-cutting drive in Europe’s history ⬇️

The European Commission is sketching out a legislative proposal to cut the administrative burden of verifying emission claims for imports covered by the EU’s nascent carbon tariffs, by allowing for risk-based waivers and remote inspections ⬇️

Centrist lawmakers in the European Parliament have reached a political deal on the EU’s 2040 target that broadly reflects a recently agreed EU Council negotiating position, as the far-right push to suspend the interim climate goal ⬇️ www.endseurope.com/article/1938...

Just copy-pasting the EU’s existing targets into the new #OceanAct would be fairly meaningless. Ambitions like protecting 30% of the ocean by 2030—agreed by the EU but not yet in law—must be added. Read @verampcoelho.bsky.social’s interview with @endseurope.com: www.endseurope.com/article/1937...

The Danish presidency has pointed to the European Parliament’s lack of a stance on the 2040 climate goal as one of the factors that led to member states agreeing on a range of emissions cuts for the EU’s 2035 contribution under the Paris Agreement ⬇️

The Danish presidency is hoping to only make minor amendments to previous draft compromises on the EU’s 2040 climate target, but those plans may be turned upside-down as France pushes for novel “emergency break” provisions ⬇️

LEAK: The Danish presidency has tabled a fresh draft on the bloc’s 2040 emission reduction target that aims to ensure that the headline target is part of a mandated regular review, ahead of tentative final preparatory talks on a compromise ⬇️

Governments are required “at a minimum” to quantify global greenhouse gas emissions and their harmful impact on the life of citizens when authorising new fossil fuel extraction, the European Court of Human Rights has held in another major climate ruling ⬇️

EU officials are working on plans to ensure that Europe’s industry has access to rare earth materials that will seek to boost recycling alongside efforts to diversify supplies ⬇️

MEPs have failed to agree on their negotiating position for the simplification of EU sustainability due diligence and reporting rules, after progressives torpedoed a compromise text ⬇️

Ursula von der Leyen has unveiled the European Commission’s priorities for next year, including plans for new climate and clean energy rules to meet the EU’s 2040 emissions reduction target. Here’s what you need to know ⬇️

The European Commission president has put forward a new timeline on industry decarbonisation and competitiveness initiatives, ahead of talks on the EU’s climate ambitions at this week’s European Council summit ⬇️

LEAK: Chemicals, metals, glass, ceramics and textile producers could be among manufacturers set to benefit from compensation for indirect energy costs caused by the EU’s emissions trading system, under plans drafted by the European Commission ⬇️

The EU will take a more transactional approach to climate and energy diplomacy, under a new strategy by the European Commission that emphasises the benefits of free trade and green business opportunities ⬇️

The EU’s anti-deforestation law could see additional changes to cut ‘administrative burden’ as part of a proposal to delay its implementation by another year, a top official has suggested ⬇️

NEW SPECIAL REPORT: Who’s ready for the Nature Restoration Law? With the first key deadlines under the EU’s flagship nature law fast approaching, the task of implementation begins. But which member states are best prepared for the new law’s requirements?

Twelve member states have expressed concern about securing enough support for biodiversity projects under the proposed MFF, ENDS Europe has learned ⬇️

EXCLUSIVE: Industry groups piled pressure on the European Commission to pull its anti-greenwashing proposal while trilogue talks were underway, documents obtained by ENDS Europe reveal ⬇️

National capitals say they have been left in the dark as the European Commission swiftly moves forward with plans to revise the EU’s anti-deforestation law ⬇️

LEAK: The EU executive will propose to raise import duties on steel, in a bid to protect EU production and boost incentives to decarbonise, as climate campaigners caution against giving industry a “blank cheque” ⬇️

The EU executive has formally adopted a limit on the sale and use of firefighting foams containing PFAS to prevent intentional use of the persistent chemicals and eliminate the “majority” of emissions ⬇️ www.endseurope.com/article/1934...

The European Chemicals Agency is facing harsh criticism for following through with a request to end individual authorisations for using the notoriously toxic and carcinogenic substance chromium VI ⬇️

Officials are hoping to simplify Euro 7 emission standard tests as part of an upcoming automotive ‘omnibus’ package, alongside plans for a new vehicle category to “make a business case” for small electric cars ⬇️

The European Commission is conducting additional analysis on the REACH proposal, but remains vague on a new timeline, as industry and Commission representatives warn that unfair competition from non-compliant importers is out of control ⬇️

The EU executive’s internal legislative watchdog has rejected an impact assessment for a proposed revision of the bloc’s flagship chemicals legislation ⬇️

The European Commission has announced plans to postpone the EU’s anti-deforestation legislation by another year, claiming that software problems are hindering the implementation of the groundbreaking rules ⬇️