Brussels, 06/03/2001 (Agence Europe) - On 26 February, the European Parliament's Committee on the Environment adopted by a large majority the report by Ria Oomen-Ruijten (EPP-ED, Netherlands) on the Council's common position concerning review of the 1998 Directive on nitrogen oxide (NOx and sulphur dioxide (SO2) emissions, and dust from large combustion plants.
As soon as it takes effect, the new Directive will make it compulsory for all new plants with a thermal power equal or greater than 50 MW to obtain an operating license. The provisions of the Directive will apply to existing large combustion plants from 2008 onwards. The Council hopes to exempt large combustion plants burning solid fuel from the need to reduce SO2 emissions if such plants operate less than 2,200 hours per year. Furthermore, it provides for another derogation, which would allow Spain to considerably exceed SO2 emission levels. The EP's environment committee refuses such derogations as well as those applicable to plants burning brown coal, which would allow Member States to authorise higher emission norms for SO2, NOx and dust. The Council also hopes to grant a derogation to plants which operate for 20,000 hours in total from 1 January 2008. The parliamentary committee does not envisage such a derogation after 31 December 2012, after which all derogations would cease. The environment committee also adopted lower limits for emissions of SO2 and NOx, which are more severe than in the Council's common position, both for plants burning solid fuels and for those burning liquid fuel and gaseous fuel. On the other hand, it did not change the limits for dust.
The report by Ms Oomen-Ruitjten will be presented to the plenary in March, in Strasbourg. If it is endorsed as such by the Parliament, the large volume of amendments could require conciliation procedure to be opened.