European Union: Environmental Law

Northern Ireland's agricultural sector presents a unique opportunity to transform organic waste into biomethane, a renewable gas that could meet nearly half of the region's gas demand while supporting decarbonisation goals. However, realising this potential requires establishing a comprehensive policy, legal and regulatory framework to provide the long-term certainty needed to attract significant private investment in this capital-intensive industry.

Bienvenido a nuestro 'What not to miss' update, donde podrás encontrar las principales iniciativas, avances y propuestas en materia legal que no puedes dejar de tener en cuenta.

The European Commission's 2026 proposals to reform the Market Stability Reserve represent a fundamental shift in EU carbon policy, transforming what began as a technical mechanism to address allowance surplus into a multifaceted instrument balancing climate ambition, industrial competitiveness, and geopolitical concerns. This analysis traces the MSR's evolution from the 2010s crisis through successive amendments, examining how the cessation of invalidation and recalibrated parameters interact with broader i

This Q3 2026 edition highlights key legal and regulatory developments shaping Ireland's sustainability landscape, covering energy, infrastructure, and sustainable finance. The newsletter features insights from Climate Finance Week 2026 and explores legislative priorities for Europe's energy future during Ireland's EU Presidency.

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.

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 moves forward with legislation to implement the EU Deforestation Regulation, introducing supply chain due diligence requirements for commodities like cattle, cocoa, coffee, and wood. The draft bill aims to ensure products placed on the Irish market are certified as deforestation-free, with enforcement beginning in December 2026.

The European Union's new Regulation on packaging and packaging waste has fundamentally transformed compliance requirements for companies placing packaged goods on the EU market, replacing decades-old directive-based frameworks with directly applicable product-law rules. While promising regulatory harmonization across member states, the reality presents a complex dual-compliance landscape where businesses must navigate both EU-wide packaging standards and diverging national implementation approaches.

The European Commission has proposed extending the EU Emissions Trading System to include municipal waste incineration installations from 2031, introducing a carbon price signal intended to strengthen incentives for waste prevention, recycling and circular economy practices. The proposal includes a phased implementation period and temporary opt-out provisions for Member States meeting specific conditions, while raising important questions about costs, contracts and the risk of unintended waste diversion.