Proposal for Directive on Industrial Emissions (Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control)

The proposal relies on extending the application of the directive to additional industrial facilities and on making the emission limits more restrictive for certain categories of installations or certain substances. However, the primary requirement is that each facility or installation should have the so-called environmental permit to be issued by each EU Member State under predetermined binding rules for each category. Operating an installation should not result in soil or underground water pollution. The clean-up of any particular site following the end of operations should become a mandatory obligation for each operator.

In addition to the tighter limits, the European Parliament supports enhancing the implementation of the best available techniques (BAT), i.e. the most efficient methods applicable in a particular industry under economically and technically acceptable terms and conditions. The European Parliament also asked for introducing minimum limits (not be exceeded under any circumstances) to apply across the EU to prevent the current policy of frequent exemptions. The European Parliament also put through certain draft amendments that moderate the requirements as presented in the Commission’s original draft.

The next step is the discussion of the proposal at the Council’s meeting scheduled for 25 June 2009 and reaching a political consensus.