EU Commission takes steps to cut industrial emissions further

22 December 2007
EU aims to cut industrial emissions further

The European Commission has adopted new legislation on industrial emissions to strengthen the provisions already in force and reduce industrial emissions throughout the European Union. The aim of the new directive is to tackle the shortcomings of current legislation on industrial emissions.

There are seven overlapping directives covering similar activities with approximately 52,000 installations falling under the scope of the Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC) Directive alone.

The proposal is a clearer and more coherent directive that merges the current IPPC Directive and six sectoral directives into a single new industrial emissions directive.

It strengthens the application of BATs across the EU, particularly by restricting divergence from BATs to specific cases and placing greater emphasis on justifying the conditions laid down in the permits.

According to Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas, industrial emissions in the European Union remain too high and are having detrimental effects on human health and the environment.

"Clearer and stricter rules are needed to ensure that industrial installations comply with the necessary high environmental standards across the EU. The EU must ensure that companies meet their obligations and use the best available techniques."

Tighter limits to combustion plants

The directive tightens minimum emission limits in certain industrial sectors across the EU – particularly for large combustion plants where progress to reduce pollution is insufficient.

The proposal also extends the scope of legislation to cover other polluting activities, such as medium sized combustion plants, thus ensuring that all European Union Member States receive the same high level of environmental protection.

In addition, the proposal introduces minimum standards for environmental inspections of industrial installations and allows for more effective permit reviews.

Significant benefits expected

The proposed directive is expected to provide significant benefits for the environment and human health.

The emission reductions achieved at large combustion plants alone are likely to offer net benefits ranging between EUR 7 to 28 billion per year and should reduce premature deaths and years of life lost by 13,000 and 125,000 respectively. Significant health and environmental benefits are also expected in other sectors.

In addition, the proposed directive is estimated to reduce administrative costs for authorities and operators by between EUR 105 and 255 million per year, thus contributing to the future sustainability of EU industry.

The Commission carried out substantial research before proposing the new directive. This includes studies on competitiveness and options for streamlining legislation, reports on individual industry sectors, and intensive discussions with stakeholders.

More information:

Towards a future policy on industrial emissions

Question and Answers on the proposal and on the current legislation MEMO/07/623