The 2010 Industrial Emissions Directive (2010/75/EU), known as the FDI Directive, is effective, but there is room for improvement in its effectiveness and scope, according to a European Commission assessment released on 23 September and supported by case studies.
It should be recalled that this Directive aims to achieve a high level of environmental protection through integrated prevention and control of pollution from a wide range of industrial and agricultural activities.
The evaluation was carried out in consultation with stakeholders in view of the revision of this legislation, scheduled for the end of 2021, to move towards the EU’s Zero Pollution ambition and to support climate, energy, and circular economy policies.
It shows that the Directive has played an important role in reducing pollutant emissions from industry, in particular into the air, but that it has made a more limited contribution to decarbonisation and the transition to a circular economy.
One of the main achievements of the Directive is its governance model, which involves Member States, industry, and environmental NGOs in the development of reference documents based on best available techniques (BREF documents).
Possibilities for improving the Directive include: - the extension of its scope; - the improvement of key provisions relating to the authorisation and control of industrial installations; - ensuring more transparent and effective access to environmental information and greater involvement of civil society in the decision-making process on permits.
The revision will cover both the FDI Directive and the European Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (E-PRTR) Regulation, which gives the public access to information on pollutant emissions from the largest industrial facilities in the EU.
The roadmap and the initial impact assessment of the revision of the Directive were the subject of a public consultation launched last March (see EUROPE 12454/37). (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)