Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is consulting on proposed changes to guidance, public sector services and secondary legislation to streamline infrastructure consenting for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects. Further information is available here. Consultation closes 27 October 2025.
The Council presidency and the European Parliament’s representatives reached a provisional political agreement on a proposed directive to review and update the lists of pollutants affecting surface waters and groundwater and corresponding regulatory standards. This agreement updates environmental quality standards for a number of pollutants and adds new ones (e.g. 24 PFAS, TFA), aligning EU water policy with the latest scientific evidence.
The provisional agreement will now be endorsed by the Council and the Parliament, before being formally adopted and entering into force. Member states will have to transpose the directive into national law by 21 December 2027 and will have until 2039 to achieve compliance with the new standards. Read more here.
The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) plans to launch an online consultation on the draft opinion of its Committee for Socio-Economic Analysis (SEAC) on the proposed EU-wide restriction of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) following the Committee’s meeting in March 2026. To learn more about the purpose and structure of the consultation, as well as how to prepare your data, ECHA are hosting a webinar on 30 October 2025 at 11:00-13:00 EET. Further information is available here.
The European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) has published a comprehensive approach to harmonising and standardising soil pollution data across Europe and provides information on the development of new policy measures for the European Union's soil strategy. Further information is available here.
The Environment Agency Chief Scientist's Group has recently published a Rapid evidence assessment of PFAS incineration and alternative remediation methods report. This review assessed the effectiveness, feasibility and environmental suitability of current and emerging technologies for treating per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), with a focus on high temperature incineration. It examined the operating conditions needed for effective PFAS destruction, the risks of producing products of incomplete combustion, and the potential of alternative treatment methods. Download the report here.