court

The European Commission said the waste should have been managed by the end of 2015 at the latest but there has been no progress

A court in Germany has ruled cities will be allowed to ban older diesel vehicles to cut air pollution. The Federal Administrative Court in Leipzig made the landmark ruling for the cities of Stuttgart and Düsseldorf to ban more polluting vehicles. The government had opposed the ban, arguing it would cause disruption but environmental group […]

Greenpeace has launched an appeal after an Oslo court rejected its bid to block oil drilling in the Arctic. The environmental group had argued that Norway’s oil and gas exploration in the Arctic violates people’s right to a clean environment. However, the court said a licensing round in 2015 that awarded offshore exploration rights to […]

The European Commission has referred Malta and Romania to the Court of Justice for failing to notify their national policy frameworks on alternative fuels infrastructure. Member States were required to notify their frameworks to the Commission by 18th November 2016 but the two nations have failed to do so. The frameworks are the main instrument […]

Ireland is being taken back to the EU Court of Justice for not properly carrying out an environmental impact assessment for a wind farm. The European Commission is also requesting the Court to impose a minimum lump sum payment of €1.68 million (£1.47m) and a daily penalty of €12,264 (€10,738) if full compliance is not […]

ClientEarth has launched fresh legal action against the UK Government’s plans to tackle air pollution. It is the third time the environmental law firm is formally challenging the government “over its persistent failure” to deal with illegal levels of air quality across the country. The environmental lawyers won both cases against ministers previously. ClientEarth’s grounds […]

United Utilities has pleaded guilty to supplying water that was unfit for human consumption to hundreds of thousands of customers. Around 700,000 people had to boil their water before drinking for nearly three weeks between 30th July 2015 and 18th August 2015. Cryptosporidium, a microscopic parasite, was found during routine tests at the Franklaw water […]

France’s highest legal authority has ordered the government to clean up the nation’s air pollution. The Conseil d’État has given the French Government nearly nine months to produce a plan, detailing how it intends to bring air quality within legal limits by 31st March 2018. The news follows legal action launched by Friends of the […]

Ireland is being taken to the European Court of Justice for failing to upgrade wastewater treatment infrastructure. According to the European Commission, the country failed to ensure urban wastewater in 38 towns and cities is adequately collected and treated to prevent serious risks to human health and the environment. It also raises additional concerns about […]

A bid to overturn a fracking project in North Yorkshire has been dismissed. Fossil fuel firm Third Energy was granted permission earlier this year to frack just a quarter of the mile from the village of Kirby Misperton, a decision that was met with anger from local residents. A number of these residents teamed up with Friends of the Earth to challenge the decision by […]