Member states vary in EU 'polluter pays' rules

The polluter should pay, that is the simple principle underpinning the environmental liability directive.

But the legal text is riddled with loopholes and is not being implemented uniformly across the EU. This emerged at a hearing in the European Parliament on Tuesday (11 April).

The directive went into force thirteen years ago this month, and member states were required to transpose it into national law a decade ago. However, it was not until mid-2010 that all EU members had done...