Certain dictionaries define the term ‘industrial emissions’ as “gas-borne pollutants discharged into the atmosphere from smokestacks of industrial plants.” In 2005, the European Commission launched a review of European legislation on industrial emissions after having undertaken a two-year review with all stakeholders to examine how the legislation on industrial emissions could be improved in order to ensure clearer environmental benefits, remove ambiguities, promote cost-effectiveness and to encourage technological innovation. Following negotiations between the ministers of the 27 EU member states responsible for the environmental sector, the European Parliament and the European Commission, final meetings took place in June and December of 2010 and the recast directive (2010/75/EU) was published in the EU’s Official Journal. At the core of the new directive is the strengthening of the application of Best Available Techniques (BAT), making BAT Conclusions the reference point in the permitting process and bringing down industrial emissions from large combustion plants across the EU. The new rules will also lead to several environmental and health benefits for European citizens, and significant savings through the reduction of administrative burdens. Moreover, they will provide a more level playing field for industry. According to a report issued last year by Point Carbon, a world-leading provider of analysis for European and global power, gas and carbon markets, industrial carbon emissions in Europe rose by 4%. Janez Potočnik, European Environment Commissioner, explained that the new directive “will help ensure the level of protection from industrial pollution that EU citizens deserve. It will substantially strengthen the current legal framework further reducing air and other environmental pollution and become an important driver for eco-innovation.” Currently, large combustion plants (LCP) with a thermal output of more than 50 Mega Watts operate under the Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control Directive (IPPC) and the LCP Directive – two directives which will be consolidated as a result of the Industrial Emissions Directive. The directive on industrial emissions will also update and merge five other pieces of existing legislation – the Waste Incineration Directive (WID), the Solvent Emissions Directive (SED), and the three existing directives on Titanium dioxide: (i) disposal (78/176/EEC), (ii) monitoring and surveillance (82/883/EEC) and (iii) programmes for the reduction of pollution (92/112/EEC). The new directive has to be transposed into Maltese law by January 2013. In Malta, power plants must comply with these stricter limits by 2020. During the negotiations Malta and other member states jointly argued that vulnerable industries could be regulated just as effectively by local environmental permitting systems to ensure similar environmental benefits. Malta had also argued that the date when new and stricter emissions for power plants would become applicable was a crucial factor in order to ensure that the public would not suffer from electricity cuts while the necessary technological improvements to power plants were being carried out.

The Malta-EU Steering and Action Committee (MEUSAC) is organising an information session for stakeholders on the new Industrial Emissions Directive. This session should be of particular interest to persons involved in Energy, Business, Chemical, Waste Management Industries and Environmental organisations as well as any organisation representing the other sectors’ interests and other interested parties. The session, which is being organised in collaboration with Mepa, is being held on Monday 21 March between 3pm and 5pm at Europe House in Valletta. For registration log on to MEUSAC’s official website: www.meusac.gov.mt.

Brenda Azzopardi is a Research Analyst MEUSAC