Brussels, 16/03/2001 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday, the Parliament adopted the report by Ria Oomen-Ruijten (EPP-ED, NL) on reducing polluting emissions from large combustion plants, thus toughening the Council's common position with a view to revision of a directive dating from 1988. The Parliament adopted amendments that demonstrate its determination not only to do away with many derogations granted by the Council but also to make more severe the limit values for sulphur dioxide (SO2) emissions and nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions, mainly with a view to enlargement to Eastern European countries. Although Commissioner Michel Barnier said he was ready to accept a number of amendments, it is not to be ruled out that conciliation procedure will be opened.
The Parliament refused derogations concerning, on one hand, emissions of SO2 for installations that burn solid fuels during at least 2200 hours annually and, on the other hand, emissions of SO2, NOx and dust for installations burning brown coal. The Parliament hopes to limit in time the exemption granted from 1 January 2008 to installations whose operational duration is 20,000 hours. It considers it unacceptable that some of these old installations using lignite or fuel oil as a fuel may function without slowing down until 2020, and hopes that this derogation will come to an end by 31 December 2010 at the latest, when all derogations will come to an end. An amendment suggesting that Spain should not be authorised to exceed the large-scale SO2 emission levels was not taken on board.
For solid fuels, the Council tabled on a limit for emissions of SO2 of 2000 mg/Nm3 for installations of 100 MWth and 400 mg/Nm3 for installations of 500 MWth or more. The Parliament, however, voted in favour of a threshold of 1200 mg/Nm3 for installations of 50 MWth, and of 300 mg/Nm3 for installations of 300 MWth. As far as liquid fuels are concerned, the Parliament hopes there will be a limit value of 300 mg/Nm3 for installations of 300 MWth, while the Council common position provided for a limit of 1700 mg/Nm3 for installations of 50-300 MWth or more, and of 400 mg/Nm3 for installations of 500 MWth. The Parliament also urged in favour of lower limits for NOx: 350 mg/Nm3 for solid and liquid fuels and 250 mg/Nm3 for gas. The Parliament added a second series of ceilings for emissions from installations of over 300 MWth: 200 mg/Nm3 for all kinds of fuel. The Parliament did not however change the limits for dust.