The EU’s ‘Seveso III’ directive, which came into force on 1 June 2015, has proved its effectiveness and it is being increasingly implemented by Member States, but there remains room for improvement, according to a report published by the European Commission on Wednesday 29 September.
This first report on the implementation and efficient functioning of the Directive on the control of major-accident hazards involving dangerous substances (2012/18 EU, ‘Seveso III’) shows that between 2015 and 2018, the number of major industrial accidents in the EU has stabilised at a low level: 25 per year in the 11,776 establishments covered by this legislation.
This report, which is addressed to the European Parliament and the Council of the EU, summarises the reports that Member States are required to provide to the Commission every four years.
“The implementation of three generations of Seveso directives has significantly contributed to reducing the number of major industrial accidents. However, every accident is one too many. We want to join forces and strengthen cooperation with Member States so that we can further reduce the risk of industrial accidents”, commented EU Environment Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius in a statement.
The Commission has announced that it will work with Member States to improve compliance, specifically with regard to assessing the risks of establishments and the consequences of these accidents. It will also develop synergies between the Seveso III Directive and the EU Civil Protection Mechanism in order to improve prevention, preparedness and response to major industrial accidents.
See the report: https://bit.ly/3AWDzlB (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)