Integration of IPPC and SEVESO Directives

SHAPE-RISK: Sharing experience on risk management (health, safety and environment) to design future industrial systems

With the exception of a few countries, the procedures for the IPPC and the SEVESO II Directives are not coordinated in the EU. Some Member States have in the facts already started to integrate the two issues of safety and pollution prevention. This has been done mainly by linking the environmental impact assessment (IPPC) and the safety report (SEVESO) in a common permitting process. This is seen as good practice that could be encouraged.

One goal of the integration of the IPPC and SEVESO Directives is to create a better framework for the introduction of safer and cleaner processes in industries. However, it is difficult to define and identify concretely what are or what should be “safer and cleaner” technologies. Introducing safer and cleaner processes could for instance mean substituting and reducing the use of simultaneously toxic and hazardous chemicals.