Policy Context
Emissions from industrial installations have been subject to European Union-wide legislation for some time. This legislation includes:
- Directive 2008/1/EC concerning integrated pollution prevention and control (IPPC Directive) which sets out the main principles for the permitting and control of installations based on an integrated approach and the application of best available techniques (BAT);
- sectoral directives relating to large combustion plants (2001/80/EC), waste incineration (2000/76/EC), activities involving the use of organic solvents (99/13/EC) and the treatment of waste from the titanium dioxide industry (78/176/EEC, 82/883/EEC, 92/112/EEC) which regulate the emissions of installations from certain industrial sectors. These directives define specific requirements for certain pollutants for the installations concerned.
In 2005, the European Commission launched a review of the European Union industrial emissions legislation with a view to ensuring its environmental and cost-effectiveness. The review involved an extensive programme of ten studies and continuous and structured consultation with stakeholders.
Based on a detailed analysis of the outcome of the review process, the Commission identified four specific problems:
- insufficient implementation of best available techniques leading to limited progress in the prevention and reduction of industrial emissions and to distortion of competition due to large differences in environmental standards;
- limitations with regard to compliance, enforcement and environmental improvements that hinder environmental effectiveness and the stimulation of innovation;
- unnecessary administrative burdens due to the complexity and inconsistency of parts of the current legal framework;
- insufficient scope and unclear provisions in the current IPPC Directive that could hinder the achievement of the objectives set out in the Commission's thematic strategies (air pollution, soil protection, and prevention and recycling of waste).