Emissions to air
The directive on emissions from engines in non-road mobile machinery states that Member States shall refuse in the near future to place inland vessel engines on the market which do not meet the limit values, and shall not issue the Community Inland Water Navigation Certificate to any vessels whose engines do not meet the requirements of the Directive. A proposal with a set of stricter limit values is planned in 2007.
≡ EU directive on emissions from engines in non-road mobile machinery

Energy use
The directive on the sulphur content of marine gas oils requires that Member States prevent the purchase of gas oils for inland vessels in their territory if the sulphur content of those gas oils exceeds the limits exceeds 0.20% by mass to reduce local emissions of SOx and PM, and improve local air quality. In practice, the sulphur content of gas oils used by inland vessels is already below the threshold proposed in the directive. As of 1 January 2010, sulphur content should not exceed 0.10% by mass, but inland waterway operators require even stricter limit values as soon as possible to make efficient use of the latest generation of environmentally friendly engines.
≡ EU directive on the sulphur content of marine gas oils
≡ EU proposal on new transport fuel standards

Water Quality
The Water Framework directive aims at a good ecological and chemical status for all EU water bodies, to be achieved by sound river basin management. Derogations are possible for flood protection, drinking water supply, navigation and hydro power. The last two activities are subject to three tests: alternatives should be technically impossible, prohibitively expensive, or produce a worse overall environmental result.
≡ Water Framework directive

NATURA 2000
The directives on the conservation of wild birds, natural habitats, wild fauna and flora are the centrepiece of the EU nature and biodiversity policy. A EU-wide network of nature protection areas has been established under the Birds and Habitats Directives. The aim of the network is to assure the long-term survival of Europe's most valuable and threatened species and habitats. It is comprised of Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) and also incorporates Special Protection Areas (SPAs) designated by Member States.
≡ Natura 2000 policy and legislation
≡ Q&A on Natura 2000

Environmental impact assessment directives
Environmental assessment can be undertaken for individual projects such as a dam, motorway, airport or factory ('Environmental Impact Assessment or EIA') or for plans, programmes and policies ('Strategic Environmental Assessment or SEA'). The directives ensure that the environmental implications of decisions are taken into account before the decisions are made e.g. for projects under the trans-European networks. The assessments involve an analysis of the likely effects on the environment, recording those effects in a report, undertaking a public consultation exercise on the report, taking into account the comments and the report when making the final decision and informing the public about that decision afterwards.
≡ Environmental assessment directives