BAT Reference Documents (BREFs)
About BREFs
Article 16(2) of the IPPC Directive requires the European
Commission to organise "an exchange of information between Member
States and the industries concerned on best available techniques,
associated monitoring and developments in them", and to publish the
results of the exchange.
The purpose of this information exchange is given in recital 25
of the Directive, which states that "the development and exchange
of information at Community level about best available techniques
will help to redress the technological imbalances in the Community,
will promote the world-wide dissemination of limit values and
techniques used in the Community and will help the Member States in
the efficient implementation of this Directive."
The Commission (Environment DG) established an information
exchange forum (IEF) to assist the work under Article 16(2) and a
number of technical working groups have been established under the
umbrella of the IEF. Both IEF and the technical working groups
include representation from Member States and industry as required
in Article 16(2).
The aim of this series of documents is to reflect accurately the
exchange of information which has taken place as required by
Article 16(2) and to provide reference information for the
permitting authority to take into account when determining permit
conditions. By providing relevant information concerning best
available techniques, these documents should act as valuable tools
to drive environmental performance.
BREF outline and guide
The reference documents are produced following a set BREF
outline and guide as agreed with DG Environment and the IEF which
gives important foundations for the understanding of best available
techniques reference documents (BREFs).
BREFs are designed to demonstrate best available techniques
(BAT) for each sector covered by IPPC. It should be noted that
where UK Technical Guidance exists for a sector, this should be
used as the main reference document for demonstration of BAT, with
the BREF providing supplementary information where appropriate.
Access the BREFs
The list below names the available BREFs, which are be in
varying stages of development. To access the most up-to-date
version available, go to the European Integrated Pollution
Prevention and Control Bureau 
where you can download
the documents.
- Cement and Lime production
- Ceramics
- Chlor-Alkali manufacture
- Common Waste Water and Waste Gas Treatment - Management Systems
in the Chemical
- Sector
- Cooling systems
- Economic and cross media issues under IPPC
- Emissions from storage of bulk or dangerous materials
- Ferrous Metal Processing
- Food and Milk Processes
- Glass manufacture
- Intensive Livestock Farming
- Iron and Steel production
- Large combustion plants
- Large Volume Inorganic Chemicals - Ammonia, Acids &
Fertilisers
- Large Volume Inorganic Chemicals - Solid & Others
- Large volume organic chemicals
- Management of Tailings and Waste-Rock in Mining Activities
- Monitoring systems
- Non-Ferrous Metal processes
- Organic fine chemicals
- Polymers
- Paper and Pulp Manufacture
- Refineries
- Slaughterhouse and animal carcasses disposal or reuse etc
- Smitheries and Foundries
- Speciality inorganic chemicals
- Surface treatment of metals
- Surface treatments using solvents
- Tanning of hides and skins
- Textile processing
- Waste Incineration
- Waste Treatments