The Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC)
Directive
The Integrated Pollution Prevention and
Control (IPPC) Directive aims to minimise pollution from various
industrial activities throughout the European Union. Operators of
certain industrial installations that are covered by the directive
are required to obtain an environmental permit from the authorities
in EU countries. These permits provide operational measures to
control emissions to the environment. About 52,000 installations
are currently covered by the IPPC Directive in the European Union
(EU).
The EU has a set of common rules for
permitting and controlling industrial installations
in the IPPC
Directive 
(Council
Directive 2008/1/EC).
In Scotland the IPPCD has been brought into
effect by the Pollution Prevention and Control (Scotland)
Regulations 2000, which are otherwise known as ‘PPC’.
New installations, and existing installations
which are subject to "substantial changes", have been required to
meet the requirements of the IPPC Directive since 1999. Other
existing installations were to be brought into compliance by 30
October 2007. This was the key deadline for the full implementation
of the IPPC Directive.
At the end of 2005 the European Commission
(EC) launched a review process of the IPPC and related legislation
on industrial emissions. While not altering its main underlying
principles and level of ambition, the IPPCD Review is evaluating
the scope to improve the functioning of the Directive, its
coherence and how it complements other industrial emissions-related
legislation and the effectiveness of market-based-instruments in
this context.
The IPPCD Review was concluded in 2007 with the EC placing new
formal proposals in 2008. To read more about the outcomes of the
review, refer to the IPPC Review page in the left hand menu.