EU proposes to extend rules on industrial emissions
Industrial emissions - Photo by Johannes Plenio from Pexels
(BRUSSELS) - The European Commission presented proposals Tuesday to update the Industrial Emissions Directive, to advance progress towards 'a zero-pollution, competitive, climate-neutral economy by 2050'.
The updated rules to key legislation to help prevent and control pollution are expected to help guide industrial investments necessary for Europe's transformation towards a zero-pollution, competitive, climate-neutral economy by 2050.
Their aim, saus the EU executive, is to spur innovation, reward frontrunners, and help level the playing field on the EU market. The revision is also expected to help provide long-term investment certainty, with first new obligations on industry expected in the second half of the decade.
"These new rules will enable large industrial plants and intensive livestock farming to play their part in achieving the objective of the European Green Deal and its zero-pollution ambition" said Environment Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevicius. "Solely from action on livestock farms, benefits to human health would amount to at least €5.5 billion per year," he said.
The existing Industrial Emissions Directive currently covers some 50,000 large industrial installations and intensive livestock farms in Europe. The installations need to comply to emissions conditions by applying activity-specific 'Best Available Techniques'. These techniques are determined jointly by industry, national and Commission experts, and civil society. The new rules will cover more relevant sources of emissions, make permitting more effective, reduce administrative costs, increase transparency, and give more support to breakthrough technologies and other innovative approaches.
Main changes include:
- More effective permits for installations. Instead of settling for the least demanding limits of the best available techniques, as some 80% of installations do currently, permitting will have to assess the feasibility of reaching the best performance. It will also tighten the rules on granting derogations by harmonising the assessments required and securing a regular review of derogations granted.
- More help for EU innovation frontrunners. As an alternative to permits based on well-established best techniques, frontrunners will be able to test emerging techniques, benefitting from more flexible permits. An Innovation Centre for Industrial Transformation and Emissions (INCITE) will help industry with identifying pollution control solutions. Finally, by 2030 or 2034 operators will need to develop Transformation Plans for their sites to achieve the EU's 2050 zero pollution ambition, circular economy and decarbonisation aims.
- Supporting industry's circular economy investments. New best available techniques could include binding resource use performance levels. The existing Environmental Management System will be upgraded to reduce the use of toxic chemicals.
- Synergies between depollution and decarbonisation. Energy efficiency will be an integral part of permits, and systematic consideration will be given to technological and investment synergies between decarbonisation and depollution when determining best available techniques.
The new rules will also cover more installations, notably:
- More large-scale intensive livestock farms. Under the new rules, the largest cattle, pig, and poultry farms would be gradually covered: about 13% of Europe's commercial farms, together responsible for 60% of the EU's livestock emissions of ammonia and 43% of methane. The health benefits of this extended coverage are estimated at more than €5.5 billion per year. As farms have simpler operations than industrial plants, all farms covered will benefit from a lighter permitting regime. The obligations stemming from this proposal will reflect the size of farms as well as the livestock density through tailored requirements. The Common Agricultural Policy remains a key source of support for the transition.
- Extraction of industrial minerals and metals and large-scale production of batteries. These activities will significantly expand in the EU to enable the green and digital transitions. This requires that the best available techniques are employed to ensure both the most efficient production processes and the lowest possible impacts on the environment and human health. The governance mechanisms of the Directive that closely associate industry experts to the development of consensual and tailored environmental requirements, will support the sustainable growth of these activities in the Union.
Finally, the new rules will increase transparency and public participation in the permitting process. In addition, the European Pollutant Release and Transfer Register will be transformed into an EU Industrial Emissions Portal where citizens will be able to access data on permits issued anywhere in Europe and gaining insight into polluting activities in their immediate surroundings in a simple way.
Revised EU rules on Industrial Emissions - guide
Proposal for Industrial Emissions Directive