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Corporate actors are central to the European automotive sector: they purchase 58 % of new cars and 90 % of new vans, use these vehicles two to three times more intensively than private owners, and typically sell them on the second-hand market after three to four years, a segment where over 80 % of European citizens purchase their vehicles. Given these dynamics, corporate fleets have a pivotal role to play in accelerating the transition from internal combustion engine vehicles to zero-emission vehicles ...

2026 data confirm chronic EU-wide overexposure to cadmium, a toxic heavy metal causing irreversible kidney and bone damage. In the EU, phosphate fertilisers are the primary source of contamination, and contribute 55 % of the cadmium added to EU farmlands annually, causing the toxic heavy metal to accumulate in 45 % of agricultural soils faster than it can be removed. Current regulations are fragmented and scientifically insufficient, yet the European Commission's May 2026 fertiliser action plan missed ...

The thousands of per- and polyfluoroalkyl chemicals (PFAS) contain carbon-fluorine bonds, one of the strongest chemical bonds in organic chemistry, making them resistant to degradation. The favourable physicochemical properties that make PFAS valuable for countless applications and products pose huge environmental challenges: PFAS are persistent. Due to their persistence and mobility, widespread use and resulting emissions, PFAS are now ubiquitous contaminants, polluting soil and water resources. ...

During its 2019-2024 legislative term, the EU established an ambitious framework to decarbonise its economy by 2050. While maintaining climate neutrality as a goal, including through an intermediate EU-wide 2040 target, the post-2024 green agenda is now guided by a 'competitiveness compass for the EU', which integrates a roadmap for both decarbonisation and competitiveness. Recognising that a simpler regulatory framework would strengthen the EU's long-term competitiveness, the European Commission ...

This fact sheet explains EU action to reduce air and noise pollution and protect human health and the environment. It outlines the main sources and impacts of pollution, the EU’s zero pollution objectives and key legislation addressing emissions from industry, transport and other sectors. It also highlights progress made and remaining challenges in improving air quality and reducing environmental noise.

This fact sheet explains the EU’s policy on nuclear energy, including its legal basis, objectives and regulatory framework under the Euratom Treaty and secondary EU legislation. It explains how the EU aims to ensure high standards of nuclear safety, radiation protection, radioactive waste management and the secure use of nuclear materials, while supporting research and innovation in the nuclear sector. It also highlights the European Parliament’s role in shaping the EU’s nuclear energy policy.

This briefing provides a legal analysis and critical assessment of the genetically modified micro-organisms (GMM) component of the Commission proposal for a Directive amending Directives 2001/18/EC and 2010/53/EU as regards the placing on the market of genetically modified micro-organisms and the processing of organs. This proposal was presented in December 2025 and accompanies the European Biotech Act. The briefing presents and analyses the proposed GMM-related amendments, situates the proposal ...

New and emerging plant pests can undermine EU food security and farm/forestry incomes through yield losses, trade disruption and costly control measures, while also causing major environmental impacts through biodiversity loss, landscape change and increased pressure to use pesticides. Using a comprehensive foresight methodology, this study examines how global trade and tourism, climate change and agricultural systems contribute to the introduction and spread of new and emerging plant pests, assesses ...

Since the establishment of the European emissions trading system (EU ETS), industrial installations exposed to the risk of carbon leakage have received free emission allowances for part of their greenhouse gas emissions. The EU ETS Directive provides for this percentage to be progressively reduced over the years in such a way that the EU ETS still provides a carbon price signal for decarbonisation and protects against the risk of carbon leakage. The EU has adopted a carbon border adjustment mechanism ...

This fact sheet explains how EU rules on chemicals and pesticides protect human health and the environment while facilitating trade. These rules cover chemical products, hazardous substances, accident prevention and exports. This fact sheet describes the progress made by these rules and expected future developments, including updates to align them with policies to make the EU climate neutral by 2050. It concludes by explaining Parliament’s role in shaping legislation designed to keep people safe. ...