Environment and society (part II) European integrated pollution prevention and control (EIPPC) bureau

Objective

Specific Objectives
- To enhance the understanding of best available techniques within the framework of the Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control Directive through the networking of experts as a result of the activities of the European IPPC Bureau;
- Launch, together with DG ENV, the "Conference on Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control" in Sevilla, an event within the framework of the Spanish presidency of the EU;
- To disseminate world-wide, the techniques and environmental standards used within the European Community to achieve a high level of protection for the environment as a whole;
- To involve Accession Countries as far as possible in the work to assist them in their implementation of the IPPC Directive;
- To develop and implement a European Information System, which will facilitate the information exchange on best available techniques and improve transparency;
- To fully exploit the potential of EIPPCB as a network for S&T reference for policy making as a contribution to the European Research Area strategy of the JRC.
Planned Deliverables

Specific deliverables to DGs:
The principal deliverable is a series of draft reference documents (BREFs) for the Environment DG to consider for publication. In addition the European Information System is a parallel deliverable for the preparation and dissemination of BREFs. This system is currently being developed under specific contract. The overall programme consists of a number of work areas identified in Annex 1 to the Directive 96/61/EC. It also includes, at the request of DG ENV, work resulting from the Commissions communication on safe operation of mining activities.

The initial 5 year programme of sectors to be covered, as it currently stands is listed below.
Iron and Steel; Cement and Lime; Pulp and Paper; Cooling Systems, Ferrous Metals Processing; Non-Ferrous Metals; Glass; Chlor-alkali; Tanneries; Textile processing; Monitoring of Emissions, Refineries; Smitheries and Foundries; Large Volume Organic Chemicals; Management of Tailings and Waste-Rock in Mining Activities; Large Volume Inorganic Chemicals (2 TWGs); Intensive Livestock Farming; Emissions from Storage; Common Waste Water and Waste Gas Treatment/Management in the chemical industry; Economic and Cross-Media aspects, Slaughterhouses and Animal Carcasses; Food and Milk; Large Combustion Plant, Surface Treatment of Metals; Ceramics; Polymers; Surface Treatment using Solvents; Waste Incineration, Speciality Inorganic Chemicals; Organic Fine Chemicals; Waste Recovery/Disposal.

During 2002, the following seven sectors are specific foreseen deliverables as documents to DG ENV:
Large Volume Organic Chemicals; Common Waste Water and Waste Gas Treatment/Management in the chemical industry; Refineries; Textile processing;
Monitoring of Emissions, Intensive Livestock Farming; Emissions from Storage.

In 2003, it is envisaged that work will commence on reviewing the existing BREFs in the light of further developments in the best available techniques in addition to completing the initial work program as above.

Summary of deliverables made by: 31/12/2001
During 2001 BREFs or final drafts will be completed in the following sectors and submitted to the Environment DG: textile processes; tanneries; refineries, large volume organic chemicals, intensive livestock farming;, common waste water and waste gas treatment/management in the chemical sector. Other sectors, specifically - economic and cross-media aspects; slaughterhouses and animal carcasses; food and milk processing; large combustion plant; inorganic chemical manufacture, monitoring of emissions; smitheries and foundries, emissions from storage; will all be elaborated to differing extents dependent upon the size and complexity of the sector and the output of the respective TWG.

Output Indicators and Impact

The output of the project is marked by progressive delivery of documents and electronic files from JRC to DG ENV. Each Reference document constitutes information, which must be taken into account when determining BAT-based permit conditions according to annex IV of the IPPC Directive. The impact of each reference document is thus to inform industrial operators of the benchmarks against which their IPPC applications will be judged by the permitting authorities and to inform both the authorities and the world at large of the techniques and environmental standards which may be expected of industry applying best available techniques. An impact of the project as a whole is that DG ENV and other DGs are increasingly proposing that the EIPPCB mechanism of networking authorities and industries to develop guidelines could be used for non-IPPC activities. One such example is the work arising out of the Commissions communication on safe operation of mining activities which proposed a BREF-like approach for a document relating to the management of waste-rock and tailings in mining activities.
Summary of the project

The European IPPC Bureau provides direct technical support to the implementation of Directive 96/61/EC on Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC). It co-ordinates a number of expert technical working groups (TWGs) to develop - sector by sector - a series of reference documents on Best Available Techniques for the Environment DG to consider for publication, in order to discharge the statutory obligation on the Commission under Article 16(2) of the Directive. Each reference document, which is based on intensive exchange of information between the Bureau, industry and Member State authorities in the TWGs will typically be developed over a period of 24-30 months. The process, which is highly structured and transparent, provides an important element to the Environment DGs approach of involving industry in the policy-making process.

Rationale

The Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC) Directive signals an important development in European Environmental policy-making. A crucial element in its implementation is the exchange of information on Best Available Techniques (BAT) and the development of reference documents describing in the results of the information exchange for each particular sector. The integrated approach to environmental regulation is seen as a move towards a more sustainable balance between human activity and socio-economic development on one hand and resources and the regenerative capacity of nature on the other.

Fields of science

Programme(s)

FP5-JRC - Programme for research and technological development, including demonstration, to be carried out by means of direct actions for the European Community by the Joint Research Centre, 1998-2002

Topic(s)

Call for proposal

Data not available

Funding Scheme

JRC - Joint Research Centre research

Coordinator

Institute for Prospective Technological Studies

EU contribution

No data

Address

Seville
Spain

Total cost