Legal updates

The EA has released a new Regulatory Position Statement (RPS C2) on waste storage limits during Covid-19, which runs until 30 September 2020 unless the [...]

On 30th March, the European Commission published Guidance to ensure the continuation of waste shipments across the EU while maintaining a high level of [...]

In the case of British Overseas Bank Nominees Ltd and others v Stewart Milne Group Ltd (10 September 2019), the Inner House of the [...]

The European Union (Withdrawal) (No. 2) Act 2019 became law on 9 September 2019, imposing a legal obligation on the Prime Minister to request [...]

When is it sufficient to constitute a contract using electronic signatures? This is often a source of uncertainty. Therefore, the latest Law Commission report [...]

A new statutory scheme is being introduced in England under the Environment (Principles and Governance) Bill, expected in October 2019. A conservation covenant is [...]

The Environment Agency had published its response to consultation on changes to Standard Rules for Environmental Permits for medium combustion plant and specified generators  [...]

The UK Government's proposes to introduce, from April 2022, a world-leading new tax on the production and import of plastic packaging with less than [...]

The High Court has recently clarified the law on Habitats Regulations appropriate assessments where outline planning permission and reserved matters decisions overlap under Habitats [...]

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has published updated Planning Practice Guidance on Appropriate Assessments to bring English law into line [...]

The High Court has applied a recent ECJ ruling under the Habitats Directive to two developments, with different results in each case, one of [...]

On 1 April 2019, the Environment Agency published Regulatory Position Statements (RPSs) under the environmental permitting regime, relating to limits on radioactive materials in environmental [...]

On 28 March 2019, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) handed down a ruling which clarified the obligations of waste holders in ‘grey area’ situations [...]

The European Parliament has approved (27 March) a new law banning single-use plastic items  The law means member states will have to achieve a 90% [...]

On 25 March 2019, the UK Government published guidance on how businesses can register on its new UK IT service for chemical regulation. This is [...]

TheFloods and Water (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 were made on 20 March 2019 and will come into force on Exit Day. The Regulations make [...]

The Waste (Miscellaneous Amendments) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019were made on 19 March 2019 and will come into force on Exit Day. The Regulations cover UK [...]

The International Waste Shipments (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 were made on 14 March 2019 and will come into force on Exit Day. The Regulations make minor [...]

The Court of Appeal has applied a strict interpretation of the concept of “treatment” of waste under the Waste Framework Directive in a case involving [...]

We report a Supreme Court ruling in a commercial contract case because of its wider contractual implications in our areas of practice. The Supreme Court has [...]

On 11 February 2019, DEFRA published Guidance on importing and exporting waste if there is a no-deal Brexit The new waste guidance largely confirms the [...]

The Waste (Miscellaneous Amendments) (EU Exit) (No. 2) Regulations 2019 were laid before Parliament on 7 February 2019, under section 2 of the European Communities Act [...]

The Nuclear Safeguards (EU Exit) Regulations 2019and the Nuclear Safeguards (Fissionable Material and Relevant International Agreements) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019were made on 7 February 2019 [...]

On 8 February 2019, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) published guidance on the EU regulation of chemicals in a no-deal Brexit. The guidance states that [...]

The High Court has recently ruled on an area of law which is very sensitive for employees of regulated operators – just what are your [...]

RPS 85 is a regulatory position statement that applies if you want to store and use PAS 108 tyre bales in civil engineering projects or [...]

RPS 211 is a regulatory position statement that applies to businesses who deal with excavated waste from unplanned utilities installation and repair works. The updated RPS [...]

Environment Agency publishes guidance on assessing compliance in move to performance-based regulation of Environmental Permitting regime On 14 January 2019, the Environment Agency published streamlined [...]

The UK accedes to Hague Choice of Court Convention in its own right The UK has acceded to the Hague Convention on Choice of Court [...]

The EA has published its decision on proposals to revise the standard rule set (SR2018 No 9) for natural gas generators that are combined heat and [...]

Thames Water fined £2 million following conviction for avoidable release of raw sewage On 21 December 2018, Thames Water was fined £2 million by Oxford [...]

The EU ‘Clean Energy for All’ package of legislation on Energy Efficiency, Renewables and Energy Union Governance is now in force On 21 December 2018, [...]

The Environment Agency has issued a Notice of Liability under the Environmental Damage (Prevention and Remediation) (England) Regulations 2015 demanding an operator provide remediation proposals [...]

The UK Government has published draft environmental principles and governance provisions for the new Environment Bill, policy paper and consultation response On 19 December 2018, [...]

The European Commission has adopted a Communication and package implementing its No Deal Contingency Action Plan On 19 December 2018, the European Commission adopted a [...]

The Government publishes final policy document and consultation response on the geological disposal of radioactive waste On 19 December 2018, the Department for Business, Energy [...]

The High Court has overruled the Secretary of State's refusal of planning permission for a surface mine for coal extraction in Northumberland on the grounds [...]

The European Court of Justice has handed down a judgment in an Irish case - Holohan and others v An Bord Pleanala (Case C-461/17) (7thNovember [...]

On 9th November 2018, the Companies (Directors' Report) and Limited Liability Partnerships (Energy and Carbon Report) Regulations 2018 were published, amending the Large and Medium-sized Companies [...]

The European Commission has issued a ‘notice to stakeholders’ aimed at reminding business of the complications arising for waste movements from the UK to the [...]

The High Court has dismissed an application for judicial review by a pressure group seeking to quash the Environment Agency's decision to grant an environmental [...]

A recent High Court ruling exposed fault lines between different clauses in a share purchase agreement which highlight again the need for very precise drafting [...]

On 29 October 2018, the government delivered the Autumn 2018 Budget. The key environmental announcements are set out here Carbon price support (CPS) and climate [...]

On 12 October 2018, the UK government published a technical notice on how a no-deal Brexit may impact on the regulation of the classification, labelling [...]

On 12 October 2018, the UK government published a Technical Notice a on how the continuity of waste shipments between the UK and the EU [...]

A recent Court of Appeal ruling has highlighted the dangers of letters of intent and other communications between parties to a contract not yet formally [...]

The Environment Agency has extended until 30 September 2019 its regulatory position statement (RPS) 207 on classifying waste wood from mixed waste wood sources. This [...]

The UK government has publisheda Technical Notice on how a no-deal Brexit may impact on the regulation of UK chemical companies and those importing chemicals [...]

A recent ruling of theScottish Court of Session in essence applied the EU Treaty obligations of the UK to override what many considered to be [...]

HMRC has published new website guidance about landfill tax (LFT) on waste disposed of at unauthorised sites, including specifically details of what is considered to [...]

A recent High Court decision maintains the unfair ‘stacking of the decks’ against industrial operators who need commercial certainty on their End of Waste products, [...]

The BDW Trading case reported yesterday (below) follows on from a Hight Court decision from last year on the perils of vague drafting when it comes [...]

A recent Hight Court decision reminds us of the perils of relying on professional reports and services when you do not have a contract with [...]

So-called ‘net contribution’ clauses are often contentiously debated at the drafting stage when framing professional and building contracts for a development. An example of one [...]

A recent Court of Appeal decision provides a further warning for landowners and developers about the liability exposure to adjoining owners for the migration of [...]

A recent Court of Appeal decision highlights the pitfalls of assuming that an ‘exclusion of representation’ clause will work in all circumstances, in a case [...]

The so-called “circular economy” is generally defined as an industrial economy that aims to keep resources in use for as long as possible to achieve [...]