If the EU Commission's Directorate General XI (Environment) role in shaping European legislation was rather modest during the seventies and eighties, it has gained in influence over the last decade. As a result, the Council of Ministers has adopted some of its Directives. Although these may not have a significant impact on the man in the street, they cannot be overlooked by industry, where they have occasioned a shift in priorities. It is time indeed to realise that the environment impact of any policy/legilsative initiation is being scrutinised. Environment is the dominant priority. Recent EU Directives such as those regulating packaging and packaging waste, air and water pollution, the use of heavy metals and health at the workplace are reshaping the concept of industrial activity and its constraints.
