The Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC)
Directive Review
At the end of 2005 the European Commission launched a review
process of the Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC)
Directive and related legislation on industrial emissions. While
not altering its main underlying principles and level of ambition,
the IPPC Directive Review evaluated 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
review was concluded in 2007, with the EC placing new formal
proposals in 2008. See the Proposed IE(IPPC) Directive page in the
left hand menu for more information on this.At the end of
2005 the European Commission launched a review process of the
Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC) Directive and
related legislation on industrial emissions. While not altering its
main underlying principles and level of ambition, the IPPC
Directive Review evaluated 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 review was concluded
in 2007, with the EC placing new formal proposals in 2008. See the
Proposed IE(IPPC) Directive page in the left hand menu for more
information on this.
In order to inform the IPPC Directive Review, the European
Commission assigned several external projects (“workstrands”) to be
conducted relating to the following issues:
- Assessment of the implementation by the Member States of
the IPPC Directive.
- Assessment of options to streamline legislation on
industrial emissions and analysis of the interaction between the
IPPC Directive and possible emissions trading schemes for nitrogen
dioxide (NO2) and sulphur dioxide
(SO2).
- Incentives to improve the environmental performance of
IPPC installations beyond regulatory compliance.
- Data gathering and impact assessment for possible
amendments to the IPPC Directive (Parts 1 and 2).
- Integrated measures in agriculture to reduce ammonia
emissions.
- Assessment of different approaches to implementation of
the IPPC Directive and their impacts on competitiveness.
- Data gathering and impact assessment for a review and
possible widening of the scope of the IPPC Directive in relation to
waste treatment activities.
- Assessment of the use of general binding rules for the
implementation of the IPPC Directive.
- Assessment of Member State implementation reports for the
period 2003–2005.
The outputs from these projects have been collated by the EC and
have informed the IPPC Directive Review proposals. SEPA has
provided substantive comments on their content.
IPPC Directive Review public consultation
To further inform the IPPC Directive Review
process, the EC has held two events:
On 4 May 2007 the EC held a Stakeholder
Hearing titled "Towards a future policy on industrial emissions:
Review of the IPPC Directive and related legislation". The purpose
of this event was to bring together key stakeholders (including the
public) in the IPPC Directive implementation process and to seek
views on the various aspects of the Review process which had been
suggested. Preliminary results of the IPPC Directive Review
workstrands were presented for debate and specific discussions were
held on topics such as “Ensuring Better Regulation” and
“Implementation of BAT” (best available technique). The outputs of
this stakeholder hearing have assisted the EC in drafting their
final proposals for the outputs of the IPPC Directive Review.
At the same event, a public questionnaire was
officially launched, titled “Towards a future policy on industrial
emissions: Public consultation on the IPPC Review”. This was a
short questionnaire asking specific questions in relation to most
major workstrands being carried out under the IPPC Directive Review
and also allowing additional comments to be made on specific
topics. These main topics were:
- Key principles of EU legislation on industrial
emissions
- General implementation and BAT
- Increase the effectiveness of the legislatio
- Administrative burden
- NOx and SO2
emissions trading.
SEPA attended the stakeholder hearing event and responded to the
public consultation both as SEPA and through inputs to the UK
Government response.