Press Release: Making the polluter pay: European Commission adopts liability scheme to prevent and repair environmental damage

A proposal for a Directive on environmental liability which aims both to prevent and restore environmental damage was adopted by the European Commission on 23 January 2002. The pollution of water, damage to biodiversity and land contamination which causes serious harm to human health would all be covered by this Directive. Operators of certain risky or potentially risky activities who cause environmental damage would be held responsible for restoring the damage caused, or made to pay for the restoration. All operators causing damage to biodiversity, by fault or negligence, would equally have an obligation to restore the damage.

http://ec.europa.eu/comm/environment/liability/index.htm http://ec.europa.eu/comm/environment/liability/index.htm

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