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EU Environment Council Reaches Agreement on Industrial Emissions

June 26, 2009 // Published as a news service by IHS

  
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The Environment Council for the European Union (EU) Council of Ministers reached a political agreement on industrial emissions on June 25.

The agreement brings the EU closer to new legislation on industrial pollution that provides higher levels of environmental protection, strengthens the application of best available techniques and reduces harmful emissions from large combustion plants.

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"Industrial emissions in the EU are still very high. It is absolutely vital that these emissions be reduced, especially by those industrial plants that pollute the most," said Stavros Dimas, European Commission (EC) environment commissioner.

"Today's agreement brings us one step closer to substantial emission reductions from industrial plants, which will decrease the exposure of European citizens to harmful pollutants and significantly improve the health of the environment."

The June 25 agreement retains the key aspects of the EC's proposal presented in December 2007. That proposal merges seven directives into one and streamlines certain provisions (see IP/07/1985 and MEMO/07/623).

It also reduces competition distortions between companies and lessens the administrative burden faced by business under the existing regime. The proposal tightens minimum emission limits in certain industrial sectors, introduces standards for environmental inspections and renders the review of permits more effective.

At the core of the EC proposal is the need to ensure the effective implementation of best available techniques by making "Best Available Techniques Reference documents" (BREFs) the principle reference point in the permitting process. These documents will make the implementation of best available techniques easier and more transparent.

By revising the minimum emission limits that apply to large combustion plants and bringing them in line with best available techniques, the EC proposal is expected to reduce yearly health expenditure between €7 to €28 billion and prevent 13,000 premature deaths a year.

A number of new monitoring, reporting and inspection tools will facilitate the enforcement of the industrial emission rules. The new agreement reached will also reduce competition distortions between companies, lessen the administrative burden faced by business and provide the public easier access to information.

The agreement will now be sent to the European Parliament for a second reading.

Source: European Commission (EC).


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