Environment Council weakens controls on industrial emissions

25 June 2009
by eub2 -- last modified 26 June 2009

EEB, Europe's largest federation of environmental citizens' organisations, regrets the outcome of today's Environment Council vote on the Directive on Industrial Emissions, during which Council even further weakened the Czech presidency's compromise "middle ground" proposal for industrial emission controls.

"We are appalled by the minimalist approach taken by certain Member States led by the UK and Poland," said Christian Schaible, EEB's Industrial Policy Officer. "Shouldn't Environment Ministers be more concerned about ensuring better health and environmental conditions for its citizens rather than securing additional profits for operators by prolonging the period during which underperforming plants can continue being heavy polluters?"

The main points of contention debated in Council today were minimal requirements for emission limits for existing large combustion plants (LCPs) and the level of flexibility needed to deviate from the emission levels achievable through the use of Best Available Techniques (BAT).

Part of the Czech Presidency's proposal, known as a TNP, which would extend the time frame for LCPs  to reach their emission limit values (ELVs) by four years did not go far enough for some Member States such as the UK, Poland, Italy, Slovakia, Slovenia and Romania, who made sure the deadline was ultimately extended to 2021.

Friends of the Earth (England Wales and Northern Ireland) and EEB provided a detailed and damning critique of the study carried out by the UK to support the Czech Plan. It was demonstrated that the plant-by-plant ELV approach proposed by the Commission will achieve significantly higher emission reductions than any TNP option. In March 2009 the European Parliament clearly rejected these sorts of amendments seeking to provide for additional flexibility for LCPs.

The EEB is a federation of more than 140 environmental citizens’ organisations based in all EU Member States and most Accession Countries, as well as in a few neighbouring countries. These organisations range from local and national, to European and international. The aim of the EEB is to protect and improve the environment of Europe and to enable the citizens of Europe to play their part in achieving that goal.

European Environmental Bureau