Press Release: Commission tackles Member States’ lack of implementation of key industrial pollution law

In its first report on the implementation of the 1996 Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC) Directive, the European Commission raised concerns about the slow implementation of this key piece of EU environmental policy. The law aims to regulate and limit harmful emissions to air, water and land from major industrial operations (factories, energy-generation plants, large farms etc). Member States’ delay in issuing the necessary permits meant that the environmental improvements foreseen by the Directive would be compromised. The Commission, therefore, urges Member States to make greater efforts to meet the October 2007 deadline by which all installations covered by the Directive had to possess their permits. To support Member States and help improve the situation, the Commission was planning to lunch an IPPC Implementation Action Plan.

European Commission: DG Environment: Policies: Air: Air pollutants: The IPPC Directive http://ec.europa.eu/comm/environment/ippc/index.htm

European Commission: Memo: MEMO/05/403, Questions and Answers on Implementation of the Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control Directive, 3.11.05 http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/05/403&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

European Commission: Eur-Lex: Council Directive 96/61/EC of 24 September 1996 concerning integrated pollution prevention and control http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:31996L0061:EN:HTML

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