The Industrial Emissions Directive (Directive 2010/75/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 November 2010 on industrial emissions (integrated pollution prevention and control)) is a
European Union directive
A directive is a legal act of the European Union that requires member states to achieve a particular result without dictating the means of achieving that result. Directives first have to be enacted into national law by member states before thei ...
which commits
European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are located primarily in Europe, Europe. The union has a total area of ...
member states to control and reduce the impact of industrial emissions on the environment. The directive aims to lower emissions from industrial production through an integrated approach.
The directive uses a
polluter pays
In environmental law, the polluter pays principle is enacted to make the party responsible for producing pollution responsible for paying for the damage done to the natural environment. It is regarded as a regional custom because of the strong sup ...
to assign the cost of the updates to the plant.
The plan to lower emissions is based on
Best available technology
The best available technology or best available techniques (BAT) is the technology approved by legislators or regulators for meeting output standards for a particular process, such as pollution abatement. Similar terms are ''best practicable means ...
to help reach the goals of the directive. The plan allows for flexibility given the best available technology; exemptions to the directive can be granted to firms as well if the cost is greater than the benefit.
Rationale
The European Commission undertook a 2-year review with all stakeholders to examine how the legislation on industrial emissions could be improved to offer a high level of protection for the environment and human health while simplifying the existing legislation and cutting unnecessary administrative costs. Throughout
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
there is high acceptance that
industrial emissions are the leading cause of pollution in Europe.
As well there is high support for a system where the polluter will pay under a
Polluter pays principle
In environmental law, the polluter pays principle is enacted to make the party responsible for producing pollution responsible for paying for the damage done to the natural environment. It is regarded as a regional custom because of the strong sup ...
.
The IED is intended to provide significant improvement on the interaction between the previous seven directives (including the
Waste Incineration Directive
The Waste Incineration Directive, more formally Directive 2000/76/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council
of 4 December 2000 on the incineration of waste (OJ L332, P91 – 111), was a Directive issued by the European Union and relates to ...
) which it replaces. It also strengthens, in several instances, some provisions in previous directives, for example the
Large Combustion Plant Directive.
Exemptions
Certain firms are allowed to apply for exemptions when the cost of the best available technology is higher than the benefit. They will be evaluated using
Cost–benefit analysis
Cost–benefit analysis (CBA), sometimes also called benefit–cost analysis, is a systematic approach to estimating the strengths and weaknesses of alternatives. It is used to determine options which provide the best approach to achieving benefits ...
to decide if an exemption will be granted to the firm.
Bulgaria
Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedo ...
is currently seeking an exemption for their whole fleet of coal fired power plants.
Criticism
The exemptions have allowed for a large amount of Europe's power plants to exceed the set standards.
There is concern that if the exemptions were removed some plants will be forced to shut down due to the increased cost associated with the best available technology. With the passing of stricter laws now makes it harder for some plants to receive an exemption from the directive.
References
{{Reflist
External links
European Commission – Industrial EmissionsEuropean IPPC Bureau Best Available Techniques (BAT) reference documentsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (England and Wales) – Implementation of the DirectiveMinistry of Environment and Urbanism of Turkey, EU Project to implement Chapters 1 and 2 of the Directive, explanations in Turkish and English
Environmental law in the European Union
European Union directives
Pollution