The Commission confirmed this week that the EU’s newest members, Austria, Sweden and Finland, will be able to retain some environmental laws…

Date: 17/12/1998

...which are stricter than Union standards. When the trio joined the EU in 1995, they were given permission to apply tougher environmental legislation at home for a further three years. The three countries will be able to keep tighter restrictions on cadmium in fertilisers and levels of sulphur in motor oils.