About: Hans Bruyninckx

EEA chief: ‘We need systemic-type environmental policies’

You can never reach a decarbonised economy by making the combustion engine perform better and become more efficient, says Hans Bruyninck. Breakthrough technologies, not incremental efficiency gains, will bring Europe to its 2050 objectives, he argues.

Hans Bruyninckx: Green taxation ‘not really happening’ in Europe

Despite a “massive” body of research showing green taxation makes sense from an environmental and economic perspective, few countries are actually taking the step forward, says Hans Bruyninckx.

Vella: Private sector and Juncker Plan cash can create low-carbon economy

The European Union’s transformation into a low carbon economy will be paid for by the private sector and, to a lesser extent, funds from the Juncker investment Plan, Environment Commissioner Karmenu Vella has said.

Air pollution will kill thousands in Europe, EEA warns

Hundreds of thousands of Europeans will suffer a premature death in the next two decades as the result of governments’ failure to act on air pollution, Europe’s environmental watchdog has warned.

EEA boss: Juncker plan and Energy Union should drive circular economy

EU policymakers must ensure that the Juncker investment plan and Energy Union leverages the circular economy, boosts decarbonisation, and enhances the environment, Hans Bruyninckx told EURACTIV in an interview.

Commission under pressure over circular economy

EXCLUSIVE: The EU is failing to create a circular economy that boosts resource efficiency and protects the environment, an influential report has found, piling pressure on the European Commission to deliver a strong replacement for the package of waste, incineration, landfill and recycling laws it controversially axed as part of its drive for "better regulation".

Shift taxes from labour to environment, EEA tells ministers

Hans Bruyninckx, the director of the European Environment Agency, has urged ministers to carry out fiscal reforms, such as moving tax from labour to activities that damage the environment.

EEA: EU ecosystems still damaged by air pollution

Airborne emissions still pose a threat to the EU’s plant and animal life but policies have contributed to reducing pollution over the past few decades, according to the European Environment Agency.