--- description: The proposed laws would prevent thousands of premature deaths and set a 70% recycling target by 2030 title: E.U. Plans to Scrap Environment Laws image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blta8c82d4d67d50e27/69876e62524fc061bbdeb5df/457787432-2.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [World](/section/world/) ## World Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [europe](/tag/europe/) ## europe Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # The E.U. Plans to Spike Key Clean-Air and Recycling Laws by [Rishi Iyengar](/author/rishi-iyengar/) ## Rishi Iyengar Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Dec 12, 2014 4:23 AM CUT  E.U. flags are pictured outside the European Commission building in Brussels on Oct. 24, 2014. E.U. flags are pictured outside the European Commission building in Brussels on Oct. 24, 2014.Carl Court—Getty Images by [Rishi Iyengar](/author/rishi-iyengar/) ## Rishi Iyengar Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Dec 12, 2014 4:23 AM CUT The E.U. is [planning to scrap](http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/dec/11/eu-plans-to-scrap-clean-air-and-waste-recycling-laws "undefined") environmental laws aimed at averting tens of thousands of possible deaths, according to classified documents published on Thursday. The leaked files propose the withdrawal of a plan for a clean-air law as well as a directive setting a target of 70% waste recycling by 2030, the _Guardian_ reported. The plan is reportedly being withdrawn because the commission in charge of it sees “no foreseeable agreement” with states that have a poor track record on recycling, and would not be able to meet the target without additional financial help. [Read more at the _Guardian_](http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/dec/11/eu-plans-to-scrap-clean-air-and-waste-recycling-laws "undefined") ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3631223/e-u-laws-scrap-clean-air-recycling/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3631223/e-u-laws-scrap-clean-air-recycling/"},"headline":"The E.U. Plans to Spike Key Clean-Air and Recycling Laws","datePublished":"2014-12-12T04:23:11.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T02:48:12.543Z","description":"The proposed laws are aimed at preventing tens of thousands of premature deaths and set a 70% recycling target by 2030","url":"https://time.com/3631223/e-u-laws-scrap-clean-air-recycling/","keywords":["europe","Environment","Laws","recycling"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blta8c82d4d67d50e27/69876e62524fc061bbdeb5df/457787432-2.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Rishi Iyengar","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/rishi-iyengar/"}],"articleSection":"World","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blta8c82d4d67d50e27/69876e62524fc061bbdeb5df/457787432-2.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Prime Minister David Cameron Tries To Take A Harder Line with Europe","caption":"Prime Minister David Cameron Tries To Take A Harder Line with Europe","creditText":"Carl Court—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/world/","name":"World"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/europe/","name":"europe"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3631223/e-u-laws-scrap-clean-air-recycling/","name":"The E.U. Plans to Spike Key Clean-Air and Recycling Laws"}}]}] ```