The Council of the EU has adopted its final position on a new Environmental Crime Directive. The Directive establishes EU-wide rules on the definition of criminal offences and penalties and will only apply to offences committed within the EU. The new Directive replaces the current Environmental Crime Directive (Directive 2008/99/EC) which dates back to 2008. It increases the number of conducts that constitute a criminal offence from nine to 20 and introduces a ‘qualified offence’ clause when an offence is committed intentionally and causes the destruction of or irreversible or long-lasting damage to the environment. The Directive also improves the prosecution of environmental crime offences with new emprisonment sentences and fines. Member States have two years from the entry into force of the Directive to adapt their national rules.

The Council of the EU has adopted the revised Waste Framework Directive. The new Directive provides for extended producer responsibility schemes which require fashion brands and textile producers to pay fees to fund the textile and waste collection and treatment costs. The level of the fees will be based on eco-modulation (the circularity and environmental performance of textile products), with the option for Member States to ask commercial re-use operators to pay a lower fee when launching their products for the first time. Member States can also exempt social economy entities such as charities and foundations from certain reporting requirements to avoid disproportionate administrative burden. The final text of the Directive will be considered in the new legislative cycle.

TThe Council of the EU has adopted a Regulation which improves the protection of geographical indications (GIs) and other quality schemes for wine, spirit drinks and agricultural products both online and offline, and simplifies the registration procedure for GIs. The Regulation aims to bring tangible benefits to the rural economy and safeguard the EU's gastronomic heritage worldwide. The improvements to the current GI system include a strengthened role for producer groups by granting them power and responsibilities to manage their GIs, the possibility for Member States to designate producer groups as 'recognised producer groups' and a reaffirmed European Commission role in the examination of applications for registering products as GIs. The Directive will now be signed and will come into force on the 20th day following its publication in the Official Journal of the EU.

The Council of the EU has adopted a list of candidates for appointment as members of the European Commission until 31 October 2029, in agreement with the President-elect of the Commission. The list includes representatives from 24 EU Member States. This decision will be sent to the European Parliament for consent and published in the Official Journal of the EU.

The Council of the EU has adopted the listing act, a legislative package designed to make EU public capital markets more attractive for EU companies and facilitate the listing of companies of all sizes, including small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), on European stock exchanges. The measures aim to streamline the rules applicable to companies undergoing a listing process or already listed on EU public markets. The aim is to simplify the process for companies by alleviating administrative burdens and costs, while maintaining a sufficient degree of transparency, investor protection, and market integrity.

The Council of the EU has adopted its mandate for the upcoming negotiations with the European Parliament on the ‘one substance one assessment’ (OSOA) package, on 14 June 2024. This aims to boost the knowledge and assessments of chemicals across the EU, and to increase protection in human health and the environment through the development and use of safe and sustainable chemicals.

The Council of the EU has adopted a negotiating mandate on a package of measures to update the alternative dispute resolution (ADR) framework in order to protect consumer rights. The mandate covers the revision of Directive 2013/11/EU (the ADR Directive) and Regulation (EU) 524/2013 (the Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) Regulation), and seeks to expand the scope of issues that can be resolved out of court. It also limits the scope of the ADR Directive to contractual disputes within the European territory, proposes to replace the existing ODR platform with a new digital tool, and extends the period in which traders must reply to a request by an ADR entity from 20 to 40 working days for complex disputes or in exceptional circumstances.

The Council of the EU has adopted its negotiating mandate on the proposals to phase out the use of dental amalgam and ban the manufacturing, import and export of certain mercury-added products. The negotiating mandate, which sets out the Council’s position for the start of negotiations with the European Parliament, extends the current prohibition of the use of dental amalgam for treating teeth of those under 15 years of age or women who are pregnant or breastfeeding to everyone in the EU. The phase-out is to be achieved by 1 January 2025, although a two-year derogation has been introduced where individuals would be disproportionately affected. The ban on the manufacturing and import of dental amalgam will take effect from 1 January 2027, and six additional mercury-containing lamps will be made subject to a manufacturing, import and export ban as from 1 January 2026 and 1 January 2028, depending on the type of lamps.

The Council of the European Union has adopted its position ie negotiating mandate on a new European Works Council Directive which would amend existing Directive 2009/38/EC, the European Works Councils (EWCs) Directive and enhance the role of EWCs by enabling their establishment, promote more useful information and consultation, ensure they have the capacity and capability to carry out their work, and boost the gender balance of EWCs making them easier to set up, better funded and better protected. The proposed revised Directive will not include the current exemptions from the application of the Directive so all relevant companies will be subject to the same rules in relation to informing and consulting employees. The Council and the European Parliament will now need to reach a provisional political agreement.

The Council of the EU has adopted its negotiating mandate on the detergents regulation, on 14 June 2024, aiming to streamline the existing rules for the sale and free movement of detergents in the EU. The Council has updated the requirements and labelling of these products to make them safer and adapted to bulk sales, and it introduces digital labelling and product passports. It covers refilling stations, highlights the importance of biodegradability, micro-organisms and phosphorus limits, and updates the list of allergenic fragrances that should be displayed on detergent labels to align it with the cosmetics regulation. Third-party producers wishing to sell detergents within the EU are now required to have authorised representatives in the EU, who must verify whether the producers successfully execute their legal obligations.

The Council of the EU has adopted its negotiating mandate on the Directive which will revise Directive 2000/60/EC, the Water Framework Directive, Directive 2006/118/EC, the Groundwater Directive and Directive 2008/105/EC, the Environmental Quality Standards Directive (Surface Water Directive). The Council’s mandate balances keeping ambitious goals for the EU’s water policy and providing flexibility for Member States in the implementation of water legislation and reduces administrative burden. The proposal also revises the list of water pollutants by including new pollutants and quality standards for some per- and poly-fluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS), pharmaceuticals and pesticides. The Council and European Parliament must now reach a provisional political agreement on the proposal.

The Council of the EU has adopted its negotiating mandate on the Toy Safety Regulation which aims to protect children from harmful chemicals as well as reinforcing the enforcement rules with a new digital product passport (DPP). The DPP will include the safety information of the toy, which will allow border control authorities to scan all digital passports using a new IT system. In line with Regulation (EU) 2023/988, the EU General Product Safety Regulation, it will be required of manufacturers to place warnings in a language or languages that is easily understood by consumers and other end-users as determined by Member States. Toys that do not conform with the toy safety regulation will be regarded as illegal content for the purposes of the EU Digital Services Act. Negotiations with the European Parliament will commence once the newly installed Parliament adopts its position.