Failure to implement EU environmental law costing economy €50bn every year

Implementing EU environmental legislation could save the industry €72 billion and generate 400,000 jobs, according to the European Commission. Failing to implement these laws is currently costing the economy €50 billion every year.

A spout of negative press over the amount of environmental red tape in Brussels has prompted  environment commissioner Janez Potočnik to hit back over claims that legislation is hurting the economy.

In Britain, recent reports have shown that strict new pollution controls could cost thousands of British shipping jobs, and force ferry fares to rise by a fifth. The UK maritime industry is just one of many to hit back over the red tape, which some sectors believe is damaging economic growth.

However, Janez Potočnik rejected these claims, saying: "Our environment is protected by some 200 pieces of well established law, but all too often they are not properly applied," in a statement.

"This doesn't just harm the environment - it also damages human health, leads to uncertainty for industry, and undermines the Single Market. In a time of crisis, these are costs we cannot afford."

Posted by Joseph Hutton