Industry & health

Industrial emissions

Since 1996, emissions from 52,000 industrial installations have progressively been regulated under the Directive on Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC).

However, by the time the deadline for full implementation arrived on 30 October 2007 many Member States had fallen well behind schedule, with only half of IPPC plants permitted in some member states.

Furthermore, sharp differences were evident in the stringency of implementation, whilst vague language in the existing Directive left little scope for the Commission to pursue infringement procedures.