Enhesa Regulations Update March 2018

From December 2017 to the end of January 2018, multiple new environmental regulations of interest to industry were adopted or published in Europe.

The following overview provides the indicative title in English, the date of adoption and the ENHESA reference number. In 285+ jurisdictions and 30+ languages, Enhesa provides key regulatory intelligence and EHS compliance assurance for top-tier Fortune 500 companies worldwide. For more information, contact Enhesa today at [email protected] (www.enhesa.com).

Austria

• Feed-in-tariffs and ecological electricity fees for 2018 and 2019 published- 22-Dec-2017 [68799]
• Updated requirements for drinking water suppliers published- 11-Dec- 2017 [68443]

Belgium

• FEDERAL: Fees increased for declarations, permits, registrations, authorisations, accreditations and approvals concerning ionising radiation in 2018- 27-Dec-2017 [68988]
• FLEMISH REGION: Operators of medium sized combustion plants must comply with emission limit values and permitting requirements as set by EU Directive- 11-Dec-2017 [68846]
• FLEMISH REGION: Updated banding factors for the calculation of certificates for green power in 2018- 08-Dec-2017 [68815]
• WALLONIA: Minor changes concerning the control of the quality of water intended for human consumption- 27-Dec-2017 [68989]
• WALLONIA: Renewable energy producers applying for green certificates are put on the waiting list for the 2018 envelope, if the 2017 envelope is full- 05-Dec-2017 [68755]
• WALLONIA: Water producers must analyse new chemical substances when monitoring ground water- 02-Jan-2018 [69019]

European Union

• Total sum of corrected greenhouse gas emissions determined per EU Member State for the year 2015- 19-Dec-2017 [68931]

Finland

• Increased powers for the government and municipal authorities to levy service fees under the Waste Act and Environmental Protection Act- 07-Dec- 2017 [68882]
• Modified rules regarding energy certificates of buildings applicable as of 1 January 2018- 28-Dec-2017 [68099]
• More types of waste can be reused in earth construction as of 1 January 2018- 12-Dec-2017 [67332]
• Reformed requirements on the construction of sewerage and water systems of buildings- 28-Dec-2017 [68097]
• Updated energy form coefficients for buildings as of 1 January 2018- 04-Dec- 2017 [68834]
• Updated requirements for energy performance of new and modified buildings applicable as of 1 January 2018- 27-Dec-2017 [69057]

France

• Review of the aid scheme for the purchase of low-emission vehicles: environmental bonus limited to electrical vehicles and conversion premium extended- 31-Dec-2017 [69416]

Germany

• Execution of the EIA becomes clearer in the permission process according to BImSchG- 13-Dec-2017 [68875]
• Incentives for the use of climate-friendly fuels set- 13-Dec-2017 [68883]
• Operators of combustion plants, gas turbines and combustion engines subject to newly established BATs- 22-Dec-2017 [68222]
• Transporters of dangerous goods by sea have to adapt their practice to the newest version of the IMDG-Code- 13-Dec-2017 [68344]
• Uniform power supply zone legally codified in Germany- 22-Dec-2017 [68962]
• Updated frequencies and techniques of drinking water monitoring published- 08-Jan-2018 [68676]

Hungary

• Companies handling potentially hazardous waste have to classify waste as hazardous following the revised HP 14 Ecotoxic criteria- 18-Dec-2017 [68562]

Ireland

• Higher building energy performance standards for buildings other than dwellings introduced- 01-Dec-2017 [68840]

Italy

• “Whistleblowing” provisions for public and private companies approved- 14-Dec-2017 [68476]
• Emission limits for medium combustion plants adopted- 16-Dec-2017 [68316]
• Fiscal incentives and new authority for waste established in the 2018 budget law- 29-Dec-2017 [68818]
• Single Environmental Declaration Form (MUD) for 2018 available- 30-Dec- 2017 [69059]
• Technical rules for fire prevention related to installation and operations of distributor containers of certain liquid fuels- 06-Dec-2017 [68856]

Malta

• Less projects will be subject to mandatory EIA- 22-Dec-2017 [69017]

Monaco

• Existing environmental requirements compiled in the Environmental Code- 22-Dec-2017 [69097]

Netherlands

• Fee to establish a personal holding account in order to trade in emission allowances and to maintain that account is EUR 400 per year instead of 200- 12-Dec-2017 [68848]
• Larger budgets available for the EZ subsidies of Topsector Energy projects and Eurostars projects- 06-Dec-2017 [68781]
• Subsidies made available for the production of renewable energy in spring 2018 (SDE+ 2018)- 11-Dec-2017 [68833]
• Subsidy ceiling for the removal of asbestos roofs for the year 2018 is set at EUR 11.300.000,00- 05-Dec-2017 [68756]

Norway

• Revised criteria for classifying waste as hazardous by HP 14 Ecotoxic adopted- 01-Dec-2017 [68742]

Poland

• Beginning in 2018 companies are required to pay fees for use of land covered with water under new regime- 03-Jan-2018 [69077]
• Companies now subject to newly introduced fees for water services as per the Water Act reform- 30-Dec-2017 [69090]
• Companies shredding end-of-life vehicles subject to clarified rules for shredding stations- 20-Dec-2017 [69043]
• From year 2018 companies are required to pay higher fees for landfilling of certain types of waste- 29-Dec-2017 [69069]
• Wastewater discharge above permitted levels becomes more expensive- 30-Dec-2017 [69089]

Portugal

• Afforestation and reforestation activities with eucalyptus subject to restrictions- 05-Dec-2017 [67585]
• EIA to take into consideration further environmental impacts of the project- 11-Dec-2017 [68507]
• Extended producer responsibility requirements consolidated- 11-Dec- 2017 [66979]
• Managers of public water supply systems to monitor quality of water intended for human consumption- 07-Dec-2017 [68456]
• Revised targets and criteria to calculate GHG emissions savings from the use of biofuels and bioliquids adopted- 11-Dec-2017 [68851]

Slovakia

• New electronic system to be used by participants in the EU emission trade scheme- 23-Dec-2017 [69152]
• Requirements for operators of large and medium combustion plants further specified- 18-Dec-2017 [69135]

Spain

• BASQUE COUNTRY: Inventory of polluted lands updated- 05-Jan- 2018 [69070]
• Emission limits for medium combustion plants adopted- 22-Dec-2017 [69002]

Sweden

• Increased application fees payable to the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority- 02-Jan-2018 [69174]
• Stricter penalties for handling explosive goods without appropriate permit- 01-Dec-2017 [68816]

Turkey

• Assessment criteria for green certification of buildings will be determined by the Ministry of Environment and Urbanisation- 23-Dec-2017 [68982
• Fluorinated greenhouse gases and equipment containing these gases are subject to restrictions- 04-Jan-2018 [58140]
• Importers of waste must obtain a new import permit- 30-Dec-2017 [52426]
• Industrial operators will be required to complete and submit an annual waste declaration form regarding packaging waste they generate- 27-Dec- 2017 [63121]

United Kingdom

• Companies working in Northern Ireland with ionising radiation subject to updated notification requirements and equivalent dose limits- 07-Dec- 2017 [68819] SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENT From 1 January 2018, operators of workplaces where workers are exposed to ionising radiation must ensure that the equivalent dose limit for the exposure to the lens of the eye of workers does not exceed 20 millisieverts (mSv) in a year. This is a reduction on the previous limit of 150 mSv. In addition to this, a new 3 tiered regulatory control system will be introduced. Operators must submit information on their work with ionising radiation, even if they have submitted such information previously, between 1 January 2018 and 5 February 2018.
• Operators subject to the EU Emissions Trading System must continue to comply with requirements and will face earlier deadlines for 2018- 06-Dec- 2017 [68850] SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENT By 11 March 2019, operators of installations which are subject to the European Union Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) must report emissions for the calendar year 2018, which is earlier than the previous deadline of 30 March 2019. In addition to this, they must also surrender allowances for those emissions by 15 March 2019, which is earlier than the previous deadline of 30 April 2019. These deadlines have been brought forward in order to ensure that the ETS can be applied and enforced in the UK prior to the UK exiting the EU on 29 March 2019.
• Stricter recycling targets for various materials in Great Britain- 11-Dec- 2017 [68859]
• Stricter recycling targets for various materials in Northern Ireland- 04-Dec- 2017 [68824]
• UK Government designates the enforcement authorities for the EU Regulation on Mercury- 07-Dec-2017 [68638]