Brussels, 15/07/2015 (Agence Europe) - A step was taken on Wednesday 15 July towards adoption of the directive that will set limits on emissions of certain pollutants by electricity generators and domestic and industrial heating and cooling systems.
The European Parliament's environment committee voted by a large majority (59 votes to 6) to approve the agreement reached on 23 June by Parliament, European Commission and Council of the EU negotiators on this piece of legislation which, for the first time, will regulate pollution from the 143,000 “medium” combustion plants with a thermal input of between 1 and 50 megawatts (MW).
The maximum emission values of sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and dust from existing combustion plants with a thermal input above 5MW will come into force from 2015, as the Commission had proposed. Smaller plants, with a thermal input of between 1 and 5MW, which are usually operated by SMEs, will only have to comply with emission limit values from 2030.
In areas not complying with EU air quality standards, the member states will be required to determine whether more stringent maximum values have to be set. The text also introduces rules on monitoring carbon monoxide (see EUROPE 11342). The European Parliament will put the agreement to the vote in the plenary session of 3-8 October. (Aminata Niang)