Today, 29 of November 2023, the Council and Parliament reached an agreement on the revision of the Directive on Industrial Emissions (IED) and the regulation on the establishment of an Industrial Emissions Portal (IEP). It needs now to be adopted by a vote in the two institutions.
Water Europe considers that water is a competitive asset for our economy to strengthen our strategic autonomy and improve our environmental legacy for the future generations.
The new directives includes:
– Binding Environmental Performance Limit Values (EPLVs) ranges for all energy resources, except for water, for which competent authorities must set binding targets. EPLVs will be indicative for emerging techniques.
– Extended scope of the directive particularly to mining activities.
– Strengthening the potential penalties and the possibility for people to claim compensation where damage to their health has occurred as a result of a violation of the national rules transposing the directive.
– Review and assessment of the implementation of the directive will be in 2028 and every 5 years ; taking into account the emerging techniques and the need for further pollution prevention measures or EU-wide minimum emission limit requirements.
Water Europe (WE) welcomes this agreement as it strengthens the water-related provisions of the directive and includes a compensation right for citizens. WE particularly supported in its position a mandatory system assessment for water usage to control the possibilities for cost-effective water savings, with the adaptation to the local situation. This provision will contribute to raise awareness about water risks and their financial impact on industry while initiating a trend towards a water-smart industry.
You can learn more about Water Europe position at this link or consult our:
– Join Statement on Mandatory water efficiency assessments in the Industrial Emissions Directive
– Open Letter – Adopt mandatory compensation right for health and justice for EU citizens
