Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control
Directive 2008/1/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 January 2008 concerning integrated pollution prevention and control (IPPC Directive ) (English: Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control, IPPC) aims at a high level of protection for the environment for certain industrial activities. The previous Directive ( 96/61/EC ) was adopted already in 1996 and saw an implementation in all plants until 31 October 2007. In 2010, the IPPC Directive with few but significant changes in the industry Emissions Directive ( 2010/75/EU ) has been integrated.
The IPPC Directive ( 2008/1/EC ) provides for measures to avoid, first, then to the reduction of emissions to air, water and soil as well as of the waste before. The specific activities are listed in Annex I the energy, waste treatment, the metal industry, the mineral processed, chemical and other specific industrial purposes.
The IPPC Directive provides in Article 23 General principles governing the basic obligations of operators of facilities whose permit, permit conditions, approval procedures, information and public participation, etc.
In Article 2 terms such b. Material, pollution, investment, existing plant, emission, emission limit, environmental quality form, best available technology, operators legally defined.
The Directive provides for minimum requirements for the arrangements necessitated by the Member States to be taken to ensure that competent authorities follow certain monitoring obligations.
Best Available Technology
The most important in the practical part of the IPPC Directive are 33 detailed reference documents or " leaflets on best available technology " (English BREF - Best Available Technique Reference Document, German: BREF ). For individual plant species or industries ecologically and economically under the current state of the art most beneficial technologies and methods are described and evaluated. The BREFs are to be applied by local licensing and control authorities in all EU countries. The EU Commission has, however, only the English version published in full and taken care of in the languages of the Member States only for a translation of the summary. For financial reasons, the Member States rarely have the BREF documents translated into their national language (s ). Germany has a translation of the most important chapters in 33 BREFs created in which " BAT-candidates " techniques are described (usually Chapter 4) and the definitions of " best available techniques" was (mostly Chapter 5). As the techniques are constantly developing, the BREFs are updated regularly (about every 6-10 years).
The tendency of individual BREFs on the ecological or economic side, depends in some cases on the composition of the working group and the influence of industrial or environmental organizations. The BREFs are called " voice of Europe " perceived as a reference for the operation of industrial facilities also on the legal scope beyond. Summaries and (partial ) translations of the BREFs are published in German by the Federal Environmental Agency.
Detachment of the Directive by the industrial emission directive ( 2010/75/EU )
The European Commission reviewed between 2005 and 2007, the IPPC Directive. Regarding clarifications, extension of the scope and terms of integration of further directives The BREFs should be given a more binding, so that EU-wide similar demands on industrial plants. On 21 December 2007 the European Commission presented a proposal for the amendment, which was adopted after discussion and amendments by the European Parliament and the European Council in 2010.
The new Directive 2010/75/EU ( "Industrial Emissions Directive " ) entered on January 6, 2011 and must be transposed into national law by the Member States to 6 January 2013.