The end-of-life vehicles directive : an appraisal

Abstract

In beginning of the 1970s the European Union had tackled growing concerns about the on-going damage being done to the environment by enacting the first 'green laws'. Years have gone by and the European Union has recognized the need to continue developing this sector to the point that now environment protection is given paramount importance. Waste has been one of the major issues as regards the making of new laws. The End-of Life Vehicle (ELV) Directive is a vital directive in this regard. In actual fact the end-of life vehicle is waste which needs to be managed and tackled in the most effective way. Considering the fact that waste is an inevitable and inherent product of our social, economic and cultural life, the permeation of waste laws, including the ELV Directive, in national legislation was not an easy task. The chapters of this thesis will assess the actual effectiveness that the ELV Directive had on various European Union Member States including Malta. Chapter 1 accentuates the history of the ELV Directives, while Chapter 2 highlights a detailed analysis of the directive's salient provisions. The ELV Directive affected the Member States, including Malta in various ways and this effectiveness is tackled in chapters 3 and 4. Finally, the conclusion, attentively and neutrally deducts whether the ELV Directive has been fruitful in the 'greening' of national waste laws.