On Friday 28 April, representatives from the member states are expected to give their verdict on the update of anti-pollution standards at coal plants. Environmental and public health NGOs said that this was a major challenge to both public health and the environment and expressed great concern that these standards, so far in the shape of the draft, would be reduced.
On Friday there will be an examination during committee procedures (directive on industrial emissions) of the draft for updating the “BREF” document on performance standards at major combustion plants on the basis of the best techniques available. These have been long awaited and the attempts to water them down have been previously criticised by the NGOs, given the number of premature deaths and diseases that could be due to contaminating emissions from these plants (EUROPE 11652).
The group representing the ten largest environmental NGOs (Green 10), which includes the European Environment Bureau (EEB) and HEAL (Health and Environment Alliance), suspect countries such as Germany and Poland of continuing with their attempts in this area. On Friday, 21 April, they again sounded the alarm. In a letter made public, these NGOs called on the European ministers responsible for the environment to support the BREF document on the table and for the European Commission to submit the draft to a vote, and “not give into pressure” from certain member states.
Compared to existing value limits for around 257 coal plants, the introduction of new standards could help to save more than 20,000 lives a year and significantly reduce the health burden by up to 75%, according to these NGOs. The letter was also signed by the EPHA (European Public Health Alliance), ELF (European Lung Foundation) and the EFA (European Federation of Allergy and Airways diseases Patient’s Associations). (Aminata Niang)