Iskanje
Non-road mobile machinery circulating on public roads
The single market celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2023. Although it has generally been a success story, a number of challenges remain. For instance, there is still no EU-wide harmonisation of the technical requirements for the road circulation of non-road mobile machinery. This has a negative effect on the functioning of the single market. This sector covers a broad range of machinery fitted with the means for self-propulsion – such as combine harvesters, excavators, ride-on mowers and forklifts ...
Revision of the Ozone Regulation
Stratospheric ozone absorbs ultraviolet radiation from the sun and reduces the overall amount of radiation reaching the Earth's surface. Ozone-depleting substances (ODS) are human-made chemicals that, once emitted, reach the upper atmosphere and destroy the protective ozone layer, causing what is known as the ozone hole. They have significant adverse impacts on human health and the environment and are also greenhouse gases with high global warming potential. Regulation (EC) No 1005/2009 on substances ...
Plant reproductive material
On 5 July 2023, the European Commission put forward a proposal for a regulation on the production and marketing of plant reproductive material (PRM). It would replace the 10 PRM directives that currently lay down the rules for seeds, tubers, cuttings, seedlings and young plants. The proposal would introduce sustainability requirements for registering new varieties of agricultural plants, vegetables and fruits intended for professional users, while PRM intended for amateur gardeners and conservation ...
EU cyber-resilience act
New technologies come with new risks, and the impact of cyber-attacks through digital products has increased dramatically in recent years. Consumers are increasingly falling victim to security flaws linked to digital products such as baby monitors, robo-vacuum cleaners, Wi-Fi routers and alarm systems. For businesses, the importance of ensuring that digital products in the supply chain are secure has become pivotal, considering three in five vendors have already lost money owing to product security ...
Review of the regulation on fluorinated greenhouse gases: 'Fit for 55' package
On 5 April 2022, the Commission presented a proposal for a regulation on fluorinated greenhouse gases that would repeal Regulation (EU) No 517/2014. The proposal is amongst the last from the 'fit for 55' package, aiming to align EU climate and energy laws with the EU Climate Law's 2030 target. The proposal aims to further reduce emissions of fluorinated greenhouse gases (F-gases). It would change the existing quota system, gradually reducing the supply of hydrofluorocarbons (HFC) to the EU market ...
Legislation for plants produced by certain new genomic techniques
The IA argues that existing GMO legislation is not fit for purpose for plants and their food and feed products developed using certain new genomic techniques (NGTs) and that their resulting limited uptake in the EU might lead to missed opportunities to reach the EU's sustainability objectives. It suggests four policy options (POs) in addition to the baseline and assesses their economic, environmental and social/health impacts. The assessment is predominantly qualitative and is based on the stakeholders ...
Revision of EU pharmaceutical legislation
On 26 Avril 2023, the European Commission put forward a 'pharmaceutical package' to revise the EU's pharmaceutical legislation and make medicines more available, accessible and affordable, while supporting the competitiveness and attractiveness of the EU pharmaceutical industry, with higher environmental standards. The package includes proposals for a new directive and a new regulation, which would replace the existing pharmaceutical legislation, including the legislation on medicines for children ...
Ensuring machine safety in the digital age: Revision of the Machinery Directive
The current Machinery Directive (Directive 2006/42/EC) was designed to allow the free movement of machinery within the internal market, while ensuring a high level of user health and safety. To reduce the occurrence of accidents, it promotes the inherently safe design and construction of machinery, and proper installation and maintenance. On 21 April 2021, the Commission put forward a proposal for a regulation on machinery products, as part of a wider 'artificial intelligence package'. The need for ...
A common charger for electronic devices: Revision of the Radio Equipment Directive
On 23 November 2022, the European Parliament and the Council signed the directive amending the 2014 Radio Equipment Directive, with the aim of mandating a common charger for mobile phones and a number of other small portable devices. The amended directive, proposed by the European Commission on 23 September 2021, will require electronic devices to be equipped with a USB Type C receptacle and to incorporate the USB Power Delivery communication protocol. A separate initiative on the eco-design of external ...
Genome-edited crops and 21st century food system challenges
Genome editing is the targeted alteration of a few DNA letters within the existing genetic blueprint of an organism. By far the most widely used genome-editing tool is CRISPR-Cas. CRISPR-Cas genome-editing technology can be applied in a number of different ways. The genetic changes that are introduced by means of the SDN1 and SDN2 types of CRISPR-Cas technology do not differ from changes that can occur naturally or result from conventional breeding. While CRISPR-Cas technology is highly accurate, ...