Industrial emissions

The Environment committee adopted today a second reading recommendation on EU Industrial Emissions Directive (Krahmer report). Commenting on the vote, Green MEP Bas Eickhout said:

"I welcome the outcome of today's vote as it ensures better protection of European citizens and the environment and gives a push towards greening the EU economy.

"The Directive obliges industries to limit environmental pollution. In the past, there was too much room for interpretation, which led to huge disparities between countries. The result was an unlevel playing field for companies and an unequal level of health protection for European citizens. Today, the environment committee voted in favour for criteria that make it more difficult for installations to deviate from the Directive. I am happy with this outcome, because it will make the air cleaner and will boost the eco-industry which employs more people than the car-industry.

"I am also very pleased to see that Member States can set CO₂ emission performance standards on power

stations. The Council position prohibited this, even though such a move would clearly contribute to achieving the climate policy objectives for 2020 and beyond. While we lost the case to introduce these CO₂ standards on a European level, Member States are now allowed to introduce them at national level."