frESH Law Horizons: Recent Key Developments in UK and EU Environment, Safety and Health Law and Procedure

Our Environmental, Safety & Health team is pleased to share with you the third edition of our monthly newsletter, frESH Law Horizons: Key Developments in UK & EU Environment, Safety and Health Law and Procedure; providing bite-size updates on EU and UK law, procedure and policy.

This month’s edition includes the following:

• First failure to prevent bribery case.
• The Office for Product Safety and Standards (Product Safety Office) has carried out its first enforcement action. It has also published a Code of Practice.
• The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has released advice that warns against “off-the-shelf” manual handling training.
• Poundworld has been fined more than £1.1 million following conviction for food safety and health and safety breaches.
• Continued press focus on food hygiene standards at UK meat plants.
• The Environment Agency (EA) has published a list of enforcement undertakings that it accepted between 1 September 2017 and 31 January 2018.
• INEOS Shale has been granted permission by the Oil and Gas Authority (OGA) to legally challenge the National Trust's refusal to allow land access for seismic testing.
• Climate Change Agreement (CCA) case of Geo Speciality Chemicals v. Environment Agency.
• 25p "latte levy" on disposable coffee cups has been questioned by the government.
• The Dutch shipping company Seatrade and two of its directors were found guilty by a Dutch court and fined up to €750,000 for breaching the rules on transfrontier shipment of waste (TFS).
• The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has issued its 10th report on progress in evaluation under REACH.
• ECHA is inviting stakeholders to send it information on microplastic particles.
• The EA has accepted an enforcement undertaking offer from Anglian Water of a £50,000 donation to a wildlife trust charity. 
• Plymouth Skip Hire, narrowly escaped having an existing suspended sentence for a driving offence activated by the Crown Court, as a result of illegal waste activities. 
• The EA has confirmed final details of the new charging scheme for environmental permits.
• The compliance committee of the Aarhus Convention on environmental justice, part of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, has agreed to hear a complaint about the UK’s adherence to the convention.
• A joint report by four committees of the House of Commons calls for urgent changes in the management of air pollution.