Activites

• 2001/11/27 Final act published in Official Journal
  • Directive 2001/80
  • OJ L 309 27.11.2001, p. 0001
• 2001/10/23 Final act signed
• 2001/10/23 End of procedure in Parliament
• #2371
• 2001/09/27 Council Meeting
• 2001/09/20 Decision by Parliament, 3rd reading
  • T5-0469/2001 summary

    The European Parliament adopted the compromise agreement reached within Council. Parliament held out the two years of negotiations with Council to make the laws tougher. It succeeded at first reading in including older, dirtier plants in the directive on large combustion plants which was originally intended to cover power stations built after 1987. Its delegation won stringent caps on nitrogen oxide, sulphur oxide and dust emissions in exchange for concessions designed to save older, mostly coal-fired, plants from closure. The thorniest issue was the nitrogen oxide (Nox) cap. Under the compromise deal the strict new Nox limit won by the Parliament will apply to new and old plants from 2016. Moreover, anthracite power plants will however have to apply it from 2018.�

• 2001/09/19 Debate in Parliament
  • Debate in Parliament
• 2001/08/02 Joint text approved by Conciliation Committee co-chairs
  • 3640/2001
• 2001/07/04 Final decision by Conciliation Committee
• 2001/07/03 Report tabled for plenary, 3rd reading
  • A5-0293/2001
• 2001/06/25 Formal meeting of Conciliation Committee
• #2361
• 2001/06/21 Council Meeting
• 2001/03/14 Decision by Parliament, 2nd reading
  • T5-0133/2001 summary

    The European Parliament voted to strengthen the common position on a proposal to update legislation dating back to 1988 on the elimination of emissions of certain pollutants into the air from large combustion plants (LCPs). The draft recommendation drafted by Mrs Ria OOMEN-RUIJTEN (EPP/ED, Nl) shall apply to new LCPs, which will be licensed once the directive takes effect, and to existing ones from 2008 onwards. (Please refer to the previous text).�

• 2001/03/13 Debate in Parliament
  • Debate in Parliament
• 2001/02/26 Vote in committee, 2nd reading
  • A5-0068/2001
• 2000/11/16 Committee referral announced in Parliament, 2nd reading
• #2303
• 2000/11/09 Council Meeting
  • 11070/1/2000 summary

    The Council's common position extends the scope of the Commission's proposal by also applying emission limit values (ELVs) or other provisions to those combustion plants licensed before 1 July 1987 ("existing plants"). The common position provides the Member States with two alternatives for the treatment of exsting plants, which must be achieved by 1 January 2008: - compliance with the ELVs and other conditions set out for "old new plants"; or - compliance with antional emission reduction plan, in accordance with guidelines to be issued by the Commission, leading to the same emission level that would have been achieved by applying the abovementioned ELVs to the existing plants in operation in the year 2000. The existing plants may be exempt from these obligations if, before 30 June 2004, an operator declares not to operate the plant for more than 20 000 hours from 1 January 2008. In addition, the common position incorporates amendments relating to: - biomass: the defintion of biomass has been adapted to ensure consistency with the pending Directive relating to incineration of waste; - combined heat and power: this text has been amended to clarify that the responsibility of the Member States is to ensure that the technical and economic feasibility of providing for combined generation of heat and power is examined in the case of new plants licensed after this proposal comes into effect and in the case of other plants subject to an extension of greater than 50 MWth, also after the proposal comes into force; - indigenous fuel provisions: the provisions which allow for exceedances of the emission limit values for plants licensed after 1 July 1987 where the emission limit values cannot be respected due to the nature of indigenous lignite, shall no longer apply to plants licensed after the entry into force of this proposal; - provisions for gas turbines: the higher emission limit value of 75 mg/Nm3 applicable in the case of combined heat power applications where the overall efficiency is greater than 75% will aslo apply in the case of combined applications where the cycle efficiency is greater than 55%.�

• #2278
• 2000/06/22 Council Meeting
• #2235
• 1999/12/13 Council Meeting
• 1999/11/25 Modified legislative proposal published
  • COM(1999)0611 summary

    In response to Parliament's first reading, the Commission presents an amended proposal on the limitation of emissions from large combustion plants. A number of Parliament's amendments are accepted, either in full, partially or in principle. In general, the Commission does not accept those amendments which propose more stringent emission limit values and which seek to extend the scope of the proposal to cover large combustion plants for which a license was issued before 1 January 2000. Amendments accepted fully or in part: - Amendment 1: recital to state the aims of Community Strategy on Acidification - Amendment 3: economic instruments to reduce SO2 and NOx emissions. - Amendment 5: requirement to submit proposals before 1 July 2007.to update the emission value limit applicable. This will be done through the implementation of the Directive on Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC). - Amendment 15:dissemination of information to public and appropriate organisations to the extent that it can be accommodated through the development of a Pollutant Emission Register under the IPPC Directive. Amendments not accepted by the Commission: - Amendment 2: this relates through international treaties to emission limit values in Directive 88/609, which are subject to revision under the Commission's proposal - Amendment 4: gas turbines on offshore platforms are excluded from the scope due to the operational characteristics of these installations. Propulsion applications will not be included in the scope since the proposal addresses emissions from stationary sources only. - Amendment 6 : the derogation for Spain cannot be deleted - Amendments 8, 12, 14, 20: these propose to revise the emission limit values applicable to large combustible plants for which a license was issued between 1 July 1987 and 1 January 2000 and also to apply these emission limit values to plants for which a license was issued before 1 July 1987. Emissions from the latter category are controlled through national sectoral ceilings. Member States can achieve the required emission limits in the most cost-effective manner at national level. The scope of the proposal is therefore limited to new plants for which a license is issued after 1 January. Amendments 7, 11 and 13 - the Commission does not consider more stringent emission limit values to be more appropriate, since it aims to set minimum standards that can be applied at Community level. Member States may apply more stringent values if warranted by local circumstances or to meet emission targets for sulphur dioxide or nitrogen oxides resulting from the Commission·s proposal on national emission ceilings.�

  • DG [{'url': 'http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/environment/', 'title': 'Environment'}],
• 1999/09/16 Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
  • T5-0013/1999 summary

    The European Parliament confirmed its first reading in the context of the codecision procedure of the text that it adopted on 14.04.1999 on this proposal for a directive.�

• 1999/07/26 Committee report tabled for plenary confirming Parliament's position
  • A5-0004/1999
• 1999/07/26 Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading
• 1999/04/14 Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
  • T4-0307/1999 summary

    At first reading under cooperation procedure, the European Parliament adopted the report by Ria G.H.C. Oomen-Ruijten (PPE,NL), which approves the Commission proposal for a Council directive amending directive 88/609/EEC on the limitation of emissions of certain pollutants into the air from large combustion plants, subject to amendments, notably in the following areas: - noting the long-term aim, expressed in the Commission's recent communication on a Community strategy to combat acidification, of a reduction in emissions of SO2 and NOx sufficient to bring residues and concentrations down to levels below the critical loads and levels; - recalling that limit values for sulphur emissions and content are laid down in Annex V of the 1994 Oslo Protocol to the 1979 Geneva Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution; - recalling that the Commission is requested to put forward, before the end of 2000, specific proposals for EU-wide economic instruments for reducing emissions of SO2 and NOx in the most cost-effective way and proposing that any taxes or charges proposed will be minimum requirements, leaving the Member States the full freedom to set higher taxes or charges, if they so wish; - removing the Commission's proposal that technical apparatus used in the propulsion of a vehicle, ship or aircraft and gas turbines used on an offshore platform should be exempted from the directive; - allowing Member States to provide that new plants having a rated thermal input of between 50 MW and 100 MW and licensed before the deadline for incorporation of directive 94/66/EC into national law shall be obliged to comply with the emission limit values for SO2 by no later than one year after that deadline; - setting new emission limit values for SO2 (for solid fuels, liquid fuels and gaseous fuels) and NOx to be applied by 01/01/2005 by all plants granted a licence before 01/01/2000, including those plants granted an operating licence before 01/07/87; - providing that, before 01/07/2007, the Commission shall submit proposals for the revision of the limit values applicable; - deleting the Kingdom of Spain's derogation, until 31/12/99, from the directive's emission limit values for SO2 for new plants; - a lowering of certain emission limit values (in relation to those proposed by the Commission) with regard to SO2 and NOx for plants for which the licence is granted on or after 01/01/2000; - requiring Member States to take appropriate steps to disseminate up-to-date information on total national as well as plant-by-plant total annual emissions of SO2 and NOx to the public by various means, including notification of appropriate organisations; - providing that a list of the organisations notified be sent to the Commission at the same time as information on determination of total annual emissions of new plants, as detailed in the directive.�

• 1999/04/13 Debate in Parliament
  • Debate in Parliament
• 1999/03/17 Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading
  • A4-0121/1999
• #2165
• 1999/03/11 Council Meeting
  • 2165
• 1998/11/04 Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
• 1998/07/08 Legislative proposal published
  • COM(1998)0415 summary

    OBJECTIVE: amendment of Directive 88/609/EEC on the limitation of emissions of certain pollutants into the air from large combustion plants SUBSTANCE: The proposed amendment of Directive 88/609/EEC seeks to integrate into the original Directive the technical progress achieved in the large combustion plant sector over the last 15 years. It is an important element in the implementation of the Community strategy to combat acidification and in the measures seeking to reduce tropospheric ozone levels in the Community. The central elements of this revision concern: - the updating of the emission limit values applicable to combustion plants put into operation after 1 January 2000, these values being differentiated on the basis of size of the installation and type of fuel used; - the extension of the scope to include gas turbines. The other new aspects of the proposal include: - the updating of the scope for fuels covered, notably by clarifying the relationship with the Directives dealing with waste incineration and by addressing the use of biomass as a source of energy; - the promotion of the development of combined heat and power generation; - the updating of provisions concerning abnormal operating conditions; - the reinforcement of provisions concerning monitoring of emissions (including those from existing installations) and compliance with limit values; - the updating of provisions concerning the annual emissions inventory for SO2 and NOx to include data from both new and existing installations on an individual basis and to include data concerning energy consumption in order to provide information on trends in emission factors. �

  • DG [{'url': 'http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/environment/', 'title': 'Environment'}],

Documents

• Legislative proposal published: COM(1998)0415
• Debate in Council: 2165
• Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading/single reading: A4-0121/1999
• Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
• Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading: T4-0307/1999
• Committee report tabled for plenary confirming Parliament's position: A5-0004/1999
• Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading: T5-0013/1999
• Modified legislative proposal published: COM(1999)0611
• Council position published: 11070/1/2000
• Committee recommendation tabled for plenary, 2nd reading: A5-0068/2001
• Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
• Decision by Parliament, 2nd reading: T5-0133/2001
• Report tabled for plenary, 3rd reading: A5-0293/2001
• Joint text approved by Conciliation Committee co-chairs: 3640/2001
• Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
• Decision by Parliament, 3rd reading: T5-0469/2001
• : Directive 2001/80
• : OJ L 309 27.11.2001, p. 0001

History

(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)