Brussels - After two and a half years of intense negotiations the Council and the European Parliament (EP) now have reached an agreement on the Commission proposal for a Directive on Industrial Emissions (IED). The new directive revises the IPPC directive (Integrated Pollution, Prevention and Control) and integrates six other EU directives, notably the Waste Incineration Directive (2000/76/EC) and the Directive on Large Combustion Plants (2001/80/EC). The text was adopted by the EP in 2nd reading on 7 July 2010.

The new directive maintains the flexibility and the integrated approach for setting Emission Limit Values in permits and it recognises the unique profile of steel industry power plants (waste gases being used to produce electricity).

The initial proposal of the EP to establish a so-called European Safety Net, which is an Emission Limit Value that under no circumstances can be exceeded, was not adopted. The compromise found is, in case of need, the setting of “Union Wide Minimum Requirements” (UWMR's) whilst a derogation for Emission Limit Values for permitting needs to be justified and documented. An opening clause for a SO2/NOx Trading System proposed by the Council was removed from the final text.

Eurofer considers the agreement acceptable for the steel industry although important points will need to be further discussed for its implementation. The directive will have to be implemented by the member states within 12 months from the formal adoption by the Council.

Quelle: EUROFER

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