S-Tiles - similitudini e sinergie

EMAS-IPPC-EIA: SYNERGIE & SIMILARITIES

The legislative measures on environmental certification (EMAS and ISO 14001), the Environmental Impact Assessment and the Integrated Pollution Prevention Control (IPPC) have grown and developed at different speeds, together with the development of the concept of integrated environmental quality. The distinguishing elements are, first and foremost, the areas of implementation and the different relevant authorities involved, as well as the diverse legal requirements (compulsory or voluntary).

A link could be manifested in the use of crosscutting competencies expressed in the application of distinct laws aimed at improving environmental performances. Particularly the recent EU Directive 97/11/EC on the EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment) explicitly provides that the IPPC procedure be applied, in the case of a new plant or substantial modifications to a plant, within the framework of the EIA Directive’s procedures.

Another example can be found in the need to set up a clear interrelation between IPPC and EMAS, established by Regulation No. 98/1836/EEC, while taking account of certain simplification elements contained in Government Bill D.Lgs 372/99:

a) The use of EMAS or ISO 14001 documentation to obtain the IPPC authorisation;

b) The renewal every 8 years (instead of 5) of the IPPC authorisation for plants registered under the EMAS Regulation (Art. 7.1).

Each of these legislative measures clearly demonstrates the technical-cultural evolution of the concept of integrated environmental quality, applied to different activities and to processes based on the Best Available Techniques, and focused on continuous improvement.