Public Participation Directive
The Public Participation Directive (PPD) was issued by the
European Commission in order to provide members of the public with
opportunities to participate on the permitting and ongoing
regulation of certain categories of activities within Member
States. Such opportunities are provided through access to
information, justice, and through consultation on certain key
documents.
The Directive makes specific changes to the way in which SEPA
determines and issues applications regarding permits under the
Pollution Prevention and Control regime. The following pages
reflect the new ways in which you can get involved in the PPC
permitting process. If you are in doubt about any application or
permit in your area you should contact your local office in the
first instance.
Pollution Prevention and Control – the permitting process
Operators who wish to operate an installation prescribed within
Schedule 1 of the Pollution Prevention and Control (Scotland)
Regulations 2000 must apply to SEPA for a permit.
The range of activities that require a permit is fairly broad,
from relatively small industrial activities through to power
stations, refineries and some waste activities.
If you believe that you currently operate or may wish to operate
an activity that might be covered by the Pollution Prevention and
Control (PPC) regime then it is best to talk about your work with a
member of staff located within your local SEPA office. You
can find the location of your nearest office by clicking here.
The type of activity you undertake influences the type of
application you will have to make. The PPC regime covers two
categories of activities, Part A activities and Part B
activities.
Part A activities are generally larger industrial
activities. Permits issued to Part A operators can permit
discharges to land, air and water.
Part B activities are generally smaller industrial
activities. Permits issued to Part B operators can permit
discharges to air only.