New environmental legislation in England

This page provides a list of key environmental legislation that has come into force in England in the past twelve months. There are links to more detailed guidance on topics where relevant. 

You can keep up to date with new environmental legislation by subscribing to the free monthly business environmental update.     

We provide this list as a guide to key environmental legislation that may apply to your business. We review it periodically but it does not include every piece of legislation that may affect your business. As there may be additional legislation that applies to your particular activities and circumstances, you should check with your environmental regulator, legal advisor or environmental consultant to find out if there are any more legal requirements that apply to you.

Date in force	Legislation
1 October 2011	Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2011 SI 2043 Redefines 'radioactive material' and 'radioactive waste', and introduces a new set of exemptions from permitting radioactive substances.
24 September 2011	Plant Protection Products Regulations SI 2011/2131 Implements various aspects of EC Regulation 1107/2009. They also lay down enforcement powers and penalties for infringements regarding the placing on the market of plant protection products.
20 July 2011	Environmental Protection (Controls on Ozone Depleting Substances) Regulations 2011 SI 1543 Implements EC Regulation 1005/2009 on substances that deplete the ozone layer, and amends 2009/216 specifying the minimum training and qualifications required by anyone working with ozone-depleting substances.
20 July 2011	Energy Information Regulations 2011 SI 1524 Applies to energy-related products which have a significant impact on energy consumption. Requires information to be provided to customers. Includes powers of enforcement  to improve the environmental performance of products.
10 June 2011	EU Regulation 494/2011 amending EU Regulation 1907/2006 on the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (Adobe PDF - 722KB) Amends 1907/2006 by adding criteria to Annex XVII for controlling the use of cadmium in plastics, paints, brazing fillers and jewellery.
1 April 2011	CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme (Amendment) Order 2011 SI 234 Amends 2010/768 by extending phase one of the trading scheme to 1 April 2014.  Reduces the second and sixth phases from seven to six years. The second phase will start on 1 April 2013. Each phase will overlap the previous phase by one year instead of two years.
29 March 2011	Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2011 SI 988 Requires businesses to apply the waste management hierarchy, introduces a two-tier system for waste carrier and broker registration, and excludes some categories of waste from waste controls. Amends the Hazardous Waste Regulations 2005. Amends the Environmental Permitting Regulations 2010.
15 March 2011	EU Regulation 253/2011 amending EU Regulation 1907/2006 on the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (Adobe PDF - 727KB) Amends 1907/2006 by replacing Annex XIII relating to the identification of persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic substances and very persistent and very bioaccumulative substances.
4 March 2011	Animal By-Products (Enforcement) (England) Regulations 2011 SI 881 Details the enforcement authorities, processes and procedures under the Animal By-Products Regulations.
2 February 2011	EU Regulation 143/2011 amending EU Regulation 1907/2006 on the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (Adobe PDF - 727KB) Amends 1907/2006 Annex XIV by adding six substances that are not to be placed on the market or used after a certain date, unless an authorisation has been granted.
26 November 2010	Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) (Amendment) Regulations 2010 SI 2849 Amends 2007/871, establishing waste recovery and recycling targets for 2011 and 2012 and making other technical changes.