Handbook for Implementation of
EU Environmental Legislation

The objective of this Handbook for Implementation of EU Environmental Legislation is to provide a planning framework, and step-by-step guidance, on the approaches and specific activities required to implement EC environmental legislation. The Handbook provides:

a series of overview chapters which set out a framework for planning the implementation of the legislation contained within that particular environmental sector;

a series of fiches containing information and guidance about each legal act presented in the Acquis Guide;

a Reference Source.

Environment DG has undertaken preliminary reviews of parts of the materials, however the findings, conclusions and legal interpretations expressed in this document should in no way be taken to reflect the policies or opinions of the European Commission. The Handbook provides an overview of European Community environmental legislation and its implementation, but the actual legislative text must always be taken as the definitive reference.

The present version of the Handbook was produced in December 2008.

The Handbook is aimed at officials (legislators, civil servants, planners, environmental advisers, etc.) in national, regional and local government agencies in the Candidate Countries and the Potential Candidates who have responsibilities for the planning, management, and implementation of environmental laws and programmes. However, the Handbook may also be of interest to other parties in the Candidates Countries and the Potential Candidates such as people working in industrial and commercial sectors affected by the legislation, and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

Handbook for Implementation of EU Environmental Legislation is available for download in PDF format chapter by chapter (or as a whole) below.

Chapter 1: Introduction (~370K)
Chapter 2: Horizontal legislation (~760K)
Chapter 3: Air Quality (~1300K)
Chapter 4: Waste Management (~1150K)
Chapter 5: Water Protection (~750K)
Chapter 6: Nature Protection (~560K)
Chapter 7: Industrial Pollution Control (~600K)
Chapter 8: Chemicals and Genetically Modified Organisms (~640K)
Chapter 9: Noise (~220K)
Chapter 10: Civil Protection (~210K)

All chapters of the document (~6020K)