Fourth research programme (ECSC) "Technical control of nuisances and pollution at the place of work and in the environment of iron and steel works", 1979-1983

Pursuant to Article 55 of the Treaty establishing the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), the Commission is required to promote technical and economic research relating to the production and increased use of coal and steel and to occupational safety in the coal and steel industries. The funds for this aid are derived from levies imposed on the production of coal and steel as provided for in Article 49 of the ECSC Treaty.

Whereas the earliest projects on the technical control of pollution in the iron and steel industry dealt mainly with problems of atmospheric pollution, the third programme (1974-1978) enlarged its scope to include the problems of treating waste and liquid effluent. The fourth programme (1979-1983) continued research in these same fields but enlarged its scope still further to include noise, environmental effects and health and safety at work. Account was taken of the general objectives which the iron and steel industry sets periodically in accordance with the ECSC Treaty.

Details on the establishment of the fourth programme were published in the Official Journal of the European Communities (No C 147 of 13.6.1979).
To improve environmental and working conditions in iron and steel works and to ensure that official requirements relevant to these conditions are complied with while maintaining the competitiveness of the works, thus safeguarding employment, and conserving raw materials and energy.
- Coking plants:
To improve existing plants, with particular attention to reducing the emission of pollutants and to the treatment of effluent;
- Sintering of iron ore:
To reduce the emission of pollutants from sintering plants;
- Blast furnaces:
To reduce secondary dust emissions during tapping, abate noise due to change-over of cowpers, burdening of blast furnace and blowing-off, and to improve the handling of water, dust, slurries and slag;
- Melting shops:
To pay special attention to operations such as the desulphurization of pig iron, carry out further work on noise abatement in electric furnaces and increase the proportion of melting shop slag which can be re-used;
- Rolling mills:
To reduce the familiar sources of pollution associated with re-heating furnaces, flame scarfing, grinding and pickling, as well as certain secondary sources such as oil mists;
- Measurement:
To improve techniques for the continuous measurement of pollution, adapt existing techniques to the needs of the iron and steel industry and harmonize measurement procedures to ensure comparability of results.
The Commission was responsible for the implementation of the programme, assisted by three consultative committees: the Research Committee, the Committee of Producers and Workers on Industrial Safety and Medicine, and the Committee of Government Experts.

Projects, lasting two and sometimes three years, were carried out, as a rule, by the research institutes in the coal and steel industries. Community financial aid usually did not exceed 75% of the direct costs of the projects. Details of projects and final outline reports were published in Euro-Abstracts. In addition, complete final reports were available on request from the Commission.