BREF for large combustion plants

October 2015

The decision-making process under the EU’s Industrial Emissions Directive defines best available techniques (BAT) in BREF documents which are to be used by member states to set binding emission limit values for toxic emissions, such as sulphur dioxide (SO₂), nitrogen oxides (NOx), mercury and particulate matter (PM2.5).

The draft conclusions were discussed at a meeting in Seville in June with participants from member states and stakeholders, and EU member states are expected to vote on the proposal by the end of this year, followed by formal adoption in early 2016. The new definitions of best available techniques and related emission limits must be included in updated environmental permits within four years of adoption.

As updated versions of BREF documents should be published no later than eight years after the previous version, and the latest one was published in 2006, this BREF is already two years behind schedule.

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