First European Framework Directive

First European Framework Directive 80/1107/EEC on Chemical, Physical,... 

The first European framework directive 80/1107/EEC on occupational safety (now repealed and replaced by directives 89/391/EEC and 98/24/EC) foresaw in article 8 the estabhshment of indicative as well as binding limit values for certain chemical substances. The aim of this mandate given to the European Council was to establish procedures and rules for deriving limit values and, of course, to set exposure limits based on these. In order to achieve this, the further harmonization and raising of occupational safety standards in relation to chemicals should be striven for as a practical step toward the realization of the social dimension of the common market in Europe. 

One year after the proposal of the Soil Framework Directive, the European Parliament adopted its first reading. However, in 2010, a few countries impeded the continuation of the process on the basis of excessive cost, administrative burden and subsidiarity. To date, the proposal remains on the council s table [131]. 

The Water Framework Directive (WFD) is certainly the first EU legislative instrument which requires a systematic monitoring of biological, chemical and quantitative parameters in European waters on such a wide geographical scale (European Commission, 2000). The principles are fixed in the legislative text and exchanges of information... 

Further on, the protection of the fresh water systems is a big challenge also for the politics not only of the individual nations but also of the European Union. As a first result of EU-activities the Water Framework Directive (WFD) was introduced in 2002 in order to organise and optimise the national activities in the field of water science and technology (s.a. Irmer 2000). 

A strategy for dealing with pollution of water from chemicals is set out in Article 16 of the Water Framework Directive 2000/60/1 iC (WFD). As a first step of this strategy, a list of priority substances was adopted (Decision 2455/2001/EC), identifying 33 substances or groups of substances of priority concern at Community level. Recently, the European Commission adopted a proposal for a new Directive to protect surface water from pollution (COM (2006) 397 final). The proposed Directive will set limits on concentrations in surface waters of 41 dangerous chemical substances including 33 priority substances and 8 other pollutants that pose a particular risk to animal and plant life in the aquatic environment and to human health. The proposal is accompanied by a communication (COM (2006) 398 final) which elaborates on this approach and an impact assessment (SEC (2006) 947) which illustrates the choices that the Commission made. 

According to article 8 of framework directive 80/1107/EEC, a mandate has been given to the European Community to set occupational limit values and to establish procedures and rules for deriving limit values. This regulation turned out to be a first major step toward harmonization of occupational exposure limit values, which until then had been established by the member states on their own responsibility. However, this led to the unfortunate situation of a great variety and scatter of limit values in Europe. In a first run, limit values should be worked out by a committee for 11 chemicals, listed in annex I of EU directive 80/1107/EEC. The chemicals are ... 

With regard to framework directive 80/1107/EEC, which created the basis for establishment of European indicative occupational exposure limits, directive 91/ 322/EEC contains a first hst of limit values for 27 substances, listed in annex 1 of... 

On 2 October 2002, the EC published a Communication to the Council of the EU and the European Parliament entitled Towards a strategy to protect and conserve the marine environment (COM (2002) 539), which sets out objectives and related actions (European Commission, 2004a). The Commission Communication represents the first Step in the incremental development of the European Marine Strategy for the protection and conservation of the marine environment. The Environment Council Conclusions of 4 March 2003 welcomed the Commission Communication, endorsed the approach and the outline of its objectives and requested an ambitious Strategy by 2005. Currently a proposal for a directive establishing a Framework for Community Action in the field of Marine Environmental Policy (Marine Strategy Directive or MSD) is on the table awaiting final approval by the parliament and the Commission (European Commission, 2005). 

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