ECHA gets a role supporting the Industrial Emissions Directive

The Agency’s data and expert advice on chemicals will be used to support regulation of industrial emissions in the EU.

Helsinki, 5 August 2024 – The revised Industrial Emissions Directive (IED) regulates emissions from industrial installations and includes new tasks for the European Chemicals Agency. Using the information from its databases, ECHA provides lists of hazardous substances that are potentially used in the relevant industry sectors, extracts substance-related information, characterises uses of those substances by sector and provides expert support on chemicals management.  

ECHA will join the exchange of information to draw up, review and update Best Available Techniques (BAT) reference documents, BREFs. This is known as the Sevilla process and is used for setting permit conditions for industry.

ECHA’s formal participation in the Sevilla process is a result of several years of collaboration with the Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC)’s European Bureau for Research on Industrial Transformation and Emissions (EU-BRITE) and the Commission’s Directorate General for Environment. The information and advice provided by the Agency has been used for the BREF revision processes and has the potential to improve synergies between the IED and the REACH regulation.

Ofelia Bercaru, ECHA’s Director of Prioritisation and integration, says: “ECHA’s data and expertise on chemicals will contribute to reducing industrial emissions, protecting human health and the environment. We are looking forward to the strengthened co-operation with the European Commission and the involved stakeholders.”

Background

The Industrial Emissions Directive aims to protect human health and the environment by reducing harmful industrial emissions across the EU, preventing the generation of waste, improving resource efficiency and promoting the circular economy and decarbonisation. The revised Industrial Emissions Directive entered into force on 4 August 2024.