EPA are currently in the final stages of preparing their 2014 Research call. This year’s call will be worth approximately €7 million, split between the Climate, Water and Sustainability pillars. There will also be a seperate Green Enterprise call worth approximately €200,000.  EPA Research Call 2014 Provisional dates: Call opens: 27 June 2014 Applicant Deadline: 5 August...

Ireland’s countryside is undoubtedly a high quality natural resource which is extensive and diverse.   Resource Management, Education and Conservation are ongoing requirements if our countryside is to continue to lend itself to the provision of opportunities for a wide range of countryside recreation activities for both the local population and for an increasing number of tourists. To...

Forthcoming proposals designed to overhaul European Union waste legislation is scheduled for publication later in 2014 and will review several EU directives, and could introduce new waste targets, with the aim of driving greater resource efficiency in line with the 2011 Roadmap to a Resource Efficient Europe and the Eco-innovation Action Plan. Among the directives...

The EPA estimate  that 30% of private wells in Ireland are contaminated by E. coli arising from animal or human waste. HSE reports a growing number of cases of VTEC – a particularly nasty form of E.coli. Analysis of cases finds that patients are up to four times more likely to have consumed untreated water...

Coca Cola recognised were one of the first companies to recognise water efficiency as adding significant value to their bottom line. For more than 40 years ago Coca Cola have lead the way to demonstrate how a global business can improve their business and add significant value to the countries and communities in which they...

A Water Stewardship Standard setting out how to use and manage water responsibly has been launched by an alliance of 29 organisations including businesses, NGOs and parts of the UN. The Water Stewardship Standard 1.0 is based around the principles of good water governance, and applies to all water types, including freshwater, drinking water, effluent and snow:...

ECHA has published translations of the the updated Guidance for downstream users into 22 EU languages. The update addresses the need to provide more and up to date guidance on The application of scaling when checking whether a downstream user’s use of a substance is covered by the supplier’s exposure scenario The communication of information on the...

Companies of all sizes are responsible for the safety of chemicals that they place on the EU market. Recent surveys and checks by inspectors show that many small companies using chemicals are still unaware of REACH and CLP or may think that the EU’s chemical law does not apply to their business. The leaflet “Chemical Safety...

ECOS Environmental Consultants were pleased to hear that the European Parliament have voted in favour of new rules to improve the safety of consumer products circulating in the EU’s internal market – including those imported from outside the EU – and to step-up market surveillance concerning all non-food products. It is intended that this will contribute...

The new ‘Chemical Handling Directive’ 2014/27/EU proposes to better protect workers from risks linked to exposure to chemicals at the workplace. This Directive amends five existing EU health and safety Directives on protection of workers from exposure to harmful chemicals to align them with the latest rules on classification, labelling and packaging of chemicals (Regulation (EC) 1272/2008)....