The European Commission intends to promote the dissemination of green products and green commercial practices by ways of transparency and consistency with the labelling of environmental performances of products and practices. Within a three-year test phase, the Commission recommends to apply its developed methods of the “Product Environmental Footprint“ and that of the “Organisation Environmental Footprint“.

The European Commission's proposal for a 7th Environment Action Programme (EAP) allows an overall view of current and future environment policy initiatives to 2020. It contains a broad palette of proposals relating to objectives and measures but leaves open the actual form that measures are to take. As well as the deficiencies in implementation of existing EU environment legislation, the Commission also brings up the increased use of market-based instruments.

The European Commission wants to reduce the amount of plastic waste and the resulting burden on the environment. It is considering promoting the recycling of plastic waste in preference to energy recovery and use of landfill. In addition, it is considering a general ban on using landfill for plastic waste. By way of requirements placed on product design, manufacturers are to be obliged to increase the reparability and re-usability of plastic products.

Public and private projects “likely to have significant effects on the environment” must undergo an environmental impact assessment (EIA) prior to receiving consent. For the first time in over 25 years the Commission wants to revise Directive 2011/92/EU fundamentally in order to eliminate deficiencies and to adapt it to the modified political, legal and technical framework.

In its Communication, the European Commission evaluates EU policy for safeguarding water resources, identifies deficiencies and proposes possibilities for improvement. In particular, it calls for the metering of water consumption and water pricing based on the polluter pays principle. It also proposes that national authorities be obliged to use the best available techniques for industrial emissions permits as well as EU-wide uniform standards of consumption for water-related products.

In view of the challenges of an increasing global population, the depletion of resources, increasing environmental pressures and climate change, the Commission is calling for a “bioeconomy strategy” to “radically” change the use of biological resources. The strategy comprises proposals for measures in the EU and/or Member States for investments in research, innovation and qualification, closer political cooperation at a national, EU and global level and strengthening the markets and competitiveness of the bioeconomy sector.

According to the Commission, there is not enough eco-innovation in the EU. Therefore, it wishes to speed up eco-innovation and to improve its marketing. To this end, the environmental legislation is to be revised and small and, in particular, medium-sized undertakings be subsidised.

Pursuant to the Waste Framework Directive, the Commission is obliged to evaluate the management of bio-waste and, where necessary, to make proposals for action. According to the Commission, the existing EU waste legislation is adequate, but poorly implemented in several Member States. To this end, such Member States are to receive EU subsidies. Moreover, the Commission assesses whether or not minimum requirements for the management of bio-waste and quality standards for compost and digestate from bio-waste should be set.

The Commission presents a strategy for encouraging the development and uptake of green road vehicles. In particular, it wishes to promote “clean and energy efficient” vehicles based on conventional combustion engines and “ultra-low-carbon vehicles“ through the deployment of new technologies such as alternative fuels, electric motors and fuel cells.