The European Union has introduced Regulation (EU) 2024/1244, aimed at enhancing environmental reporting by industrial installations and establishing a centralized Industrial Emissions Portal. This regulation, which repeals the previous Regulation (EC) No 166/2006, focuses significantly on managing hazardous substances, streamlining their reporting for better transparency and public access.
A Focus on Hazardous Substances
Under the new regulation, industrial installations are required to provide detailed information about the release and off-site transfer of hazardous substances, ensuring greater transparency and environmental protection.
Key Provisions
- Comprehensive Reporting:
- Installations must report data on hazardous substances released into the environment or transferred off-site if they exceed specified thresholds. Hazardous substances include pollutants such as heavy metals, persistent organic pollutants (POPs), and certain industrial chemicals.
- Thresholds for Reporting:
- The regulation defines specific thresholds for pollutants. For instance:
- Heavy metals like mercury, cadmium, and lead: 10 kg, 5 kg, and 20 kg per year, respectively.
- Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) like dioxins and furans: 0.0001 kg per year.
- Organic solvents like trichloroethylene and dichloromethane: 2,000 kg and 1,000 kg per year, respectively.
- Off-Site Transfers:
- Operators must also report off-site transfers of hazardous waste exceeding 2 tonnes per year and non-hazardous waste exceeding 2,000 tonnes per year. They must identify whether the waste is destined for recovery or disposal.
- Reporting Methodology:
- Operators should use the best available quantification methods, prioritizing measurement over calculation and estimation, to ensure accurate and consistent data.
- Information Contextualization:
- Reports must include contextual data, such as production volumes and operating hours, to provide a clearer picture of the environmental impact.
Integrated Industrial Emissions Portal
The newly established Industrial Emissions Portal will provide comprehensive public access to this information, creating an integrated online database of environmental data. It will:
- Offer aggregated and non-aggregated data for searches by pollutant, installation, and activity.
- Include information on pollutant release and waste transfer from installations, providing contextual data for better analysis.
Improved Public Access and Participation
To foster transparency and public participation:
- Data will be freely accessible online through the portal.
- The public can submit comments and feedback on the development and amendments of the portal.
Transition and Implementation
The regulation came into effect on 22 May 2024, and will be fully implemented by 1 January 2028, allowing industries and Member States time to adapt to the new reporting requirements.
