What changed between the adopted text of 11 Jul 2023 and the adopted text of 12 Mar 2024

Removed:P9_TA(2023)0259

Added:P9_TA(2024)0123

Industrial Emissions Directive

Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety

PE737.352

Changed:Amendments adopted by the European Parliament onlegislative 11resolution Julyof 202312 March 2024 on the proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Directive 2010/75/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 November 2010 on industrial emissions (integrated pollution prevention and control) and Council Directive 1999/31/EC of 26 April 1999 on the landfill of waste (COM(2022)0156 – C9-0144/2022 – 2022/0104(COD))

(Ordinary legislative procedure: first reading)

Removed:Recital 1: (1) The European Green Deal 55 is Europe’s strategy to ensure, by 2050, a climate-neutral, clean and circular economy, optimising resource (re-)use and management, minimising pollution while recognising the need for deeply transformative policies, a just transition and the need to protect the health and well-being of citizens from environment-related risks and impacts. The Union is also committed to the Paris Agreement55a, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development 56 and its Sustainable Development Goals57 and its involvement in the WHO. The EU Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability 58 of October 2020 and the Zero Pollution Action Plan 59 adopted in May 2021 specifically address pollution aspects of the European Green Deal. In parallel, the New Industrial Strategy for Europe 60 further emphasises the potential role of transformative technologies. Other particularly relevant policies for this initiative include the European Climate law60a, ‘Fit for 55’ package 61, the Methane Strategy 62 and the Glasgow methane pledge 63, the Climate Adaptation Strategy 64, the Biodiversity Strategy65, the Farm to Fork strategy 66 the Soil Strategy66a and the Sustainable Products Initiative 67. Besides, as part of the EU response to the 2022 Russia-Ukraine war, REPowerEU 68 proposes a Joint European Action to support the diversification of energy supplies, accelerate the transition to renewable energy and improve energy efficiency. / 55a Council Decision (EU) 2016/1841 of 5 October 2016 on th…

Change 1

Added:The European Parliament,

Removed:Recital 2: (2) The European Green Deal announced a revision of Union measures to address pollution from large industrial installations, including reviewing the sectoral scope of the legislation and how to make it fully consistent with climate, energy, water, air quality and circular economy policies while protecting the health and well-being of citizens, and protecting animals, from environemtnal -related risks and impacts and taking into account interconnections between human health and animal healh. In addition, the Zero Pollution Action Plan, the Circular Economy Action Plan and the Farm to Fork Strategy also call for improving resource efficiency and reuse while reducing pollutant emissions at source, including sources not currently within the scope of Directive 2010/75/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council69. Addressing pollution from certain agro-industrial activities while promoting sustainable agricultural practices that have multiple co-benefits for the environmental and climate objectives of the European Green Deal thus requires their inclusion within the scope of that Directive.

Added:– having regard to the Commission proposal to Parliament and the Council (COM(2022)0156),

Removed:Recital 3: (3) The Union’s extractive industry is key to achieving the aims of the European Green Deal and the EU industrial strategy, including its update. Raw materials are of strategic importance for the digital and green transition, the energy, materials and circular economy transformation and to strengthen EU economic resilience and autonomy. In order to achieve these objectives, sustainable domestic capacities and supply need to be further developed, especially in light of the growing global demand, the vulnerability of supply chains and geopolitical tensions. This requires effective, tailored and harmonized measures only for activities concerning certain metalliferous ores and specific industrial ores which have a significant impact on the environment and/or consumption of water and energy such as chemical processing, confirmed by an impact assessment, to ensure that the best available techniques are established and employed, thus applying processes that are both the most efficient and have the lowest possible impacts on human health and the environment. The Commission should, based on an impact assessment, establish an exhaustive list of such activities concerning certain industrial ores. The governance mechanisms of Directive 2010/75/EU that closely associate industry experts to the development of consensual and tailored environmental requirements will support the sustainable growth of those activities in the Union. The development and availability of commonly agreed standards …

Added:– having regard to Article 294(2) and Article 192 paragraph 1 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, pursuant to which the Commission submitted the proposal to Parliament (C90144/2022),

Removed:Recital 3 a (new): (3a) Persistent problems with odours (‘olfactory pollution’) as well as problems with the discharge of industrial waste water that can be aggravated by seasonal fluctuations of environmental conditions, are a matter of particular concern in numerous areas within the Union and they are not adequately addressed in existing Union legislation. This amending act should take into account the impact of olfactory and industrial water discharges pollution on the health, quality of the environment and quality of life of Union citizens.

Added:– having regard to Article 294(3) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Removed:Recital 4: (4) Rearing of pigs, poultry and cattle, while contributing to food security, cause significant pollutant emissions into the air and water. In order to reduce such pollutant emissions, including ammonia, methane, nitrates and greenhouse gas emissions and thereby improve air, water and soil quality, it is necessary to lower the threshold above which large pigs and poultry installations are included within the scope of Directive 2010/75/EU and to include also large cattle farming within that scope. Relevant BAT requirements take into consideration the nature, size, density and complexity of these installations, including the specificities of pasture based cattle rearing systems, where animals are only seasonally reared in indoor installations, and the range of environmental impacts they may have. The BAT should not include any recommendation that would lead to a shift from pasture-based systems to fully indoor rearing. The proportionality requirements in BATs aim to incentivise farmers to implement the necessary transition towards increasingly environmentally friendly agricultural practices. High environmental standards in both industrial activities and intensive animal rearing tend to increase the production value of products, complying with the requirements of Union environmental legislation. It is therefore essential, in order to promote higher environmental standards worldwide, to introduce reciprocity with producers outside of the Union, thus incentivising the import onto …

Added:– having regard to the reasoned opinion submitted, within the framework of Protocol No 2 on the application of the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality, by the Czech Parliament, asserting that the draft legislative act does not comply with the principle of subsidiarity,

Removed:Recital 5: (5) A significant increase in the number of large-scale installations for the production of batteries for electric vehicles will likely take place within the Union up to 2030, increasing the Union’s share of the global battery production. Whilst several of the activities of the batteries value chain are already regulated by Directive 2010/75/EU, other activities, such as the assembly of battery modules and battery packs fall clearly outside of its scope. Furthermore, batteries as products are regulated by Regulation (EU).../... of the European Parliament and of the Council* +. However, it is still necessary to include in the scope of the Directive large installations manufacturing batteries, except for installations exclusively assembling battery modules and battery packs, thereby ensuring that such large manufacturing installations are also covered by the requirements set out in Directive 2010/75/EU and therefore contribute to a more sustainable growth of batteries manufacturing. Including large installations manufacturing batteries in the scope of Directive 2010/75/EU will improve in a holistic way the sustainability of batteries and minimise their impact on the environment throughout their life cycle

Added:– having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee of 14 July 2022,

Removed:Recital 5 a (new): (5a) Renewable hydrogen will be key to replacing fossil fuels in hard-to decarbonise, energy-intensive industries and transport, diversifying the Union’s energy mix and boosting the progress towards climate neutrality by 2050 at the latest. Hydrogen production through water electrolysis has a much lower environmental impact than its production in conventional hydrogen plants, with the water footprint being a crucial, and a very location-specific parameter dependent on the local water availability, consumption, degradation, and pollution. Although it requires high quality water for its production, hydrogen as an energy carrier offers great potential for self-sufficiency to small and medium-sized enterprises.

Added:– having regard to the opinion of the Committee of the Regions of 12 October 2022,

Removed:Recital 6: (6) With a view to further strengthening public access to environmental information, it is necessary to clarify that permits for installations granted pursuant to Directive 2010/75/EU are to be made available to the public on the Internet, free of charge and without restricting access to registered users while ensuring that confidential business information is safeguarded. A uniform summary of permits should also be made available to the public under the same conditions. To that end, the Commission should establish guidelines on the publication of permits.

Added:– having regard to the provisional agreement approved by the committee responsible under Rule 74(4) of its Rules of Procedure and the undertaking given by the Council representative by letter of 15 December 2023 to approve Parliament’s position, in accordance with Article 294(4) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Removed:Recital 8: (8) Member States should also adopt compliance assurance measures to promote, monitor and enforce compliance with obligations placed on natural or legal persons under Directive 2010/75/EU. As part of compliance assurance measures, in order to stop that danger, competent authorities should suspend the operation of an installation where a continued breach of the permit conditions and the non-implementation of the findings of the inspection report pose or risk causing a danger to human health or a significant adverse effect upon the environment of one or several Member States, for instance, through waste water discharges, and adversely affects ecosystem services, such as the provision of drinking water. The competent authority should improve the communication with affected stakeholders and inform drinking water and waste water operators and cross-border competent authorities affected by a breach.

Added:– having regard to Rule 59 of its Rules of Procedure,

Removed:Recital 9: (9) In order to foster energy efficiency of installations within the scope of Directive 2010/75/EU which are carrying out activities listed in Annex I to Directive 2003/87/EC, it is appropriate to apply the ‘energy efficiency-first’ principle and submit installations that fail to implement a certified energy management system, or those that fail to implement the results of a certified energy audit, to energy efficiency requirements in respect of combustion units or other units emitting carbon dioxide on the site. The REPowerEU Planstates that energy efficiency measures can improve resilience in the event of disruption of energy imports from third countries to the Union and its member states, particularly in the event of geopolitical conflicts.

Added:– having regard to the opinions of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy and the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development,

Removed:Recital 10: (10) The evaluation of Directive 2010/75/EU concluded that there is a need to strengthen the links between that Directive and Regulation (EC) No 1907/200671, to better address the risks of the use of chemicals in installations within the scope of Directive 2010/75/EU. In order to develop synergies, in particular on minimizing emissions of persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic substances, between the work carried out by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) on chemicals, and the preparation of BAT reference documents under Directive 2010/75/EU, ECHA should be given a formal role in in such preparation of BAT reference documents. In addition, this process would benefit from the expertise of the European Environment Agency.

Added:– having regard to the report of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (A9-0216/2023),

Removed:Recital 11: (11) In order to facilitate the exchange of information supporting the determination of emission levels and environmental performance levels associated with best available techniques (BAT), while maintaining the integrity of confidential business information, the procedures for the handling of information qualifying as confidential business information or sensitive commercial information, and as collected from the industry in the context of the exchange of information organised by the Commission for the purpose of drafting, reviewing or updating BAT reference documents should be specified. It should be ensured, including, for example, by means of confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements and anonymisation of data, that individuals participating in the exchange of information do not share information qualifying as confidential business information or sensitive commercial information with any representative of undertakings or trade associations having an economic interest in the concerned industrial activities and related markets. Such exchange of information is without prejudice to Union competition law, in particular Article 101 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU).

Added:1. Adopts its position at first reading hereinafter set out;

Removed:Recital 12: (12) To ensure the protection of human health and the environment as a whole synergies and coordination with other relevant Union environmental legislation are necessary, at all stages of its implementation. Therefore, all relevant competent authorities that ensure compliance with relevant Union environmental legislation, in particular with Directive (EU) 2016/2284 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 December 2016, should be duly consulted before the granting of a permit under Directive 2010/75/EU.

Added:2. Calls on the Commission to refer the matter to Parliament again if it replaces, substantially amends or intends to substantially amend its proposal;

Removed:Recital 13: (13) With a view to continuously improving the environmental performance and safety of the installation, including by preventing waste generation, optimising resource and water use and reuse, and preventing or reducing risks associated with the use of hazardous substances, the operator should establish and implement an environmental management system (EMS) in accordance with relevant BAT conclusions. The EMS should be developed in a way that reflects the nature, scale and complexity of the installation, as well as the environmental impacts it may have. The EMS should be audited and made freely available to the public on the internet. The EMS should also cover the management of risks related to the use of the hazardous substances and an analysis of the possible substitution of hazardous substances by safer alternatives.

Added:3. Instructs its President to forward its position to the Council, the Commission and the national parliaments.

Removed:Recital 14: (14) It is necessary to specify further the conditions under which the competent authority, when setting emission limit values applicable to pollutant releases to water in a permit granted under Directive 2010/75/EU, may take account of the downstream treatment processes in a waste water treatment plant, in order to ensure that such releases do not lead to an increased load of pollutants in receiving waters or impede the capacity or potential to recover resources from the waste water treatment stream when compared to a situation where the installation applies BAT and meets emission levels associated with the best available techniques for direct releases.

Added:P9_TC1-COD(2022)0104

Removed:Recital 15: (15) Providing a high level of protection of human health and the environment as a whole requires inter alia the establishment in permits of emission limit values at a level that ensures compliance with the applicable emission levels associated with the best available techniques set out in the BAT conclusions. Emission levels associated with the best available techniques (BAT-AELs) are usually expressed as ranges, rather than as single values, to reflect the differences within a given type of installations that result in variations in the environmental performances achieved when applying BAT. For example, a given BAT will not deliver the same performance for different installations, some BATs may not be suitable for use in certain installations, or a combination of BATs may be more effective on some pollutants or environmental media than others. The achievement of a high level of protection of human health and the environment as a whole has been jeopardised by the practice of setting emission limit values at the laxest end of the range of emission levels associated with the best available techniques, without considering the potential of a given installation to achieve lower emission levels through the application of best available techniques. Such practice discourages frontrunners from implementing more effective techniques, and hinders the achievement of a level-playing field at a high level of protection of human health and the environment. Therefore, the competent authorit…

Added:Position of the European Parliament adopted at first reading on 12 March 2024 with a view to the adoption of Directive (EU) 2024/… of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Directive 2010/75/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council on industrial emissions (integrated pollution prevention and control) and Council Directive 1999/31/EC on the landfill of waste

Removed:Amendments 290 and 299

Added:(As an agreement was reached between Parliament and Council, Parliament's position corresponds to the final legislative act, Directive (EU) 2024/1785.)

Removed:Recital 15 a (new)

Removed:Amendment: (15a) BAT conclusions should identify techniques that industrial operators may implement to be consistent with the EU’s zero pollution and circular economy ambition and carbon neutrality objectives. Industrial operators should be given sufficient time for implementing deep industrial transformation techniques described in the BAT conclusions and laid down in a transformation plan.

Removed:Recital 16: (16) The contribution of Directive 2010/75/EU to resource and energy efficiency and circular economy in the Union should be made more effective, taking into consideration the ‘Energy Efficiency First’ as a guiding principle of the Union energy policy. Therefore, the permits should establish, where possible, indicative environmental performance limit values, provided that the lower performing end of the mandatory range is ensured on consumption and resource efficiency levels, including on the use of water, energy and recycled materials, based on the environmental performance levels associated with the best available techniques (BAT AEPLs) set out in decisions on BAT conclusions, while taking into account the higher energy consumption related to certain decarbonisation and depollution activities and processes, and to emerging and innovative techniques and the whole industrial ecosystem. Competent authorities should be able to grant temporary derogations only where an assessment shows that the achievement of environmental performance limit values with the best available techniques as described in BAT conclusions would lead to disproportionately higher costs compared to the environmental benefits and cross-media effects, and when a high level of protection of the environment as a whole is achieved.

Removed:Recital 17: (17) With a view to preventing or minimising the emission of pollutants by installations within the scope of Directive 2010/75/EU and to levelling the playing field across the Union, the conditions under which derogations from emissions limit values can be granted should be better framed through general principles. Clear criteria, including the maximum duration and timeline for revision of derogations, need to be provided in order to ensure a more harmonized implementation of such derogations throughout the Union. Moreover, derogations from emissions limit values should not be granted where they may put at risk compliance with environmental quality standards.

Removed:Recital 18: (18) The evaluation of Directive 2010/75/EU concluded that there was some discrepancy in compliance assessment approaches for installations covered by Chapter II of that Directive. In order to achieve a high level of protection of the environment as a whole, ensure a consistent implementation of Union law and a level-playing field throughout the Union, while minimising the administrative burden on businesses and public authorities and preventing corruption risks, the Commission should set common rules for assessing compliance with emission limit values and validation of measured levels for both air and water emissions based on best available techniques. Those compliance assessment rules should take precedent over the rules set out in Chapters III and IV on assessment of compliance with emission limit values contained in Annexes V and VI to Directive 2010/75/EU.

Removed:Recital 18 a (new): (18a) Member States, with the support of the Commission, should ensure that harmonised environmental monitoring methods, including emerging monitoring techniques, for example via honeybee colonies, for the detection of relevant pollutants, are streamlined.

Removed:Recital 19: (19) Environmental quality standards refer to all the requirements set out in Union law, such as Union legislation on air, and water; which must be fulfilled at a given time by a given environment or particular part thereof. Therefore it is appropriate to clarify that when granting a permit to an installation, competent authorities should not only set out conditions to ensure compliance of the installation’s operations with the best available techniques conclusions, but should also, where appropriate with a view to reducing the specific contribution of the installation to the pollution occurring in the relevant area, and taking into consideration the cumulative effect of the installations in the same geographical area, include specific additional conditions in the permit stricter than those set in relevant BAT conclusions, so as to ensure the installation’s compliance with environmental quality standards. Such conditions may consist in setting stricter emission limit values or limiting the operation or capacity of the installation.

Removed:Recital 20: (20) To ensure that permits granted under Directive 2010/75/EU address the need to improve performance, permit conditions should be regularly reviewed, and, where necessary, updated by the competent authority to ensure compliance with relevant legislation. The frequency of such reviews should be 8 years. Such reconsiderations of the permit should also take place where it is necessary for the installation to comply with an environmental quality standard, including in the case of a new or revised environmental quality standard or where the status of the receiving environment requires a revision of the permit in order to achieve compliance with plans and programmes set under Union legislation, such as the river basin management plans under Directive 2000/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council72.

Removed:Recital 20 a (new): (20a) Given the general principle of the non-retroactive application of a law, new requirements for the emission limit values and the environmental performance limit values should only apply to installations when a permit update is required as a result of the adoption of a new BAT Conclusion after the end date for transposition of this directive, or when the environmental quality standards or the operational safety of the installation require a permit update and at the latest by 10 years after entry into force. Conversely, for new installations which have started the application procedure after the date of transposition of this directive the new requirements for emission limit values should be applicable.

Removed:Recital 23: (23) Transboundary cooperation through appropriate regional communication channels should take place prior to reconsideration or the granting of permits where more than one Member State may be affected by the operation of an installation, and should include prior information and consultation of the public concerned and competent authorities in the other Member States which may be affected.

Removed:Recital 24: (24) The evaluation of Directive 2010/75/EU found that, even if it should foster the transformation of European industry, it is not dynamic enough and does not sufficiently support the deployment of innovative processes and technologies, including those that are essential for the twin green and digital transition and the achievement of the objectives of the European Climate Law. Without prescribing the use of any technique or specific technology, it is therefore appropriate to facilitate the testing and deployment of emerging techniques with improved environmental performance, to facilitate cooperation with researchers and industries in publicly funded research projects subject to the conditions foreseen in the relevant European and national funding instruments, as well as to set up a dedicated centre to support innovation by collecting and analysing information on innovative techniques, including emerging techniques, relevant to activities within the scope of that Directive and to characterise their level of development from research to deployment (technology readiness level or ‘TRL’) and assess the level of the environmental performance of those techniques, while taking into account any potential limitation with regard to the availability of data. This will also inform the exchange of information on drawing up, reviewing and updating BAT reference documents. Innovative techniques to be collected and analysed by the centre should be at least at the level of technology demons…

Removed:Recital 25: (25) Achieving Union objectives regarding a clean, circular and climate neutral economy by 2050 calls for a deep transformation of the Union economy. Consistently with the 8th Environmental Action Programme, operators of installations covered by Directive 2010/75/EU should therefore be required to include indicative transformation plans at group, corporate or installation level in their environmental management systems. Such transformation plans will also complement the Corporate Sustainability Reporting requirements under Directive 2013/34/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council75, whereas for transformation plans, information or data that are already reported under other Union legislation, such as Directive (EU) 2022/2464 of the European Parliament and of the Council 75a or the Directive on corporate sustainability due diligence [OJ: please insert the reference number for 2022/0051(COD)]75b it should be possible to simply make a reference if they are compliant with the elements of the transformation plans The first priority is the transformation of energy-intensive activities listed in Annex I. Therefore, the operators of energy-intensive installations, for which a derogation is granted or which are among the 200 most polluting installations except for installations with a closure plan for 2035 should produce transformation plans by 30 June 2027 at installation level. The second priority is that all other operators of energy-intensive installations should produce t…

Removed:Recital 25 a (new): (25a) Considering the water-related risks for, and risks to water by, industrial activities, especially taking into account the current situation regarding droughts and floods in Europe or the rising sea levels, digital tools such as digitalized management systems might help to quantitatively and qualitatively assess, manage water-related risks and help operators in the transformation of their installations.

Removed:Recital 29: (29) In order to ensure that Directive 2010/75/EU continues meeting its objectives to prevent or reduce emissions of pollutants and achieve a high level of protection of human health and the environment, the power to adopt acts in accordance with Article 290 TFEU should be delegated to the Commission to supplement that Directive in order to establish operating rules containing requirements for activities relating, irrespective of their permitting or registration procedures, to large-scale rearing of animals under Annex Ia to this Directive. It is of particular importance that the Commission carry out appropriate consultations during its preparatory work, including at expert level, and that those consultations be conducted in accordance with the principles laid down in the Interinstitutional Agreement on Better Law-Making of 13 April 201677. In particular, to ensure equal participation in the preparation of delegated acts, the European Parliament and the Council receive all documents at the same time as Member States' experts, and their experts systematically have access to meetings of Commission expert groups dealing with the preparation of delegated acts.

Removed:Recital 30: (30) In order to ensure uniform conditions for the implementation of Directive 2010/75/EU, implementing powers should be conferred on the Commission as regards the establishment of (i) the format to be used for the permit summary; (ii) a standardised methodology for assessing the disproportionality between the costs of implementation of the BAT conclusions and the potential environmental benefits taking into consideration the ‘Value of Statistical Life’ (VSL) method, if appropriate, (iii) the measuring method for assessing compliance with emission limit values set out in the permit with regard to emissions to air and water, (iv) the detailed arrangements necessary for the establishment and functioning of the innovation centre for industrial transformation and emissions, and (v) the format to be used for transformation plans. Those powers should be exercised in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council78.

Removed:Recital 31: (31) In order to ensure the effective implementation and enforcement of the obligations set out in Directive 2010/75/EU, it is necessary to specify the minimum content of effective, proportionate and dissuasive penalties. Disparities in penalties regimes, the fact that imposed penalties are deemed in many cases too low to truly have a deterrent effect on illegal behaviours, and the lack of uniform implementation across Member States, undermine the level playing field on industrial emissions throughout the Union. The Commission should support the Member States in the uniform implementation by adopting guidelines. Such guidelines should include the principle of compensating, as a priority, local communities in which the harm was caused. Member States should respect the provisions of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, in particular the ne bis in idem principle and the proportionality principle. Account should be taken of Directive 2008/99/EC on the protection of the environment through criminal law where a detected infringement under this Directive constitutes an offence within the scope Directive 2008/99/EC.

Removed:Recital 32: (32) Where damage to human health has occurred as a result of a violation of national measures adopted pursuant to Directive 2010/75/EU, Member States should ensure that the individuals affected are able to claim and obtain compensation for that damage from the relevant natural or legal persons and, where appropriate, from the relevant competent authorities responsible for the infringement when a decision, act or omission of the authority caused or contributed to the damage. Such rules on compensation contribute to pursuing the objectives of preserving, protecting and improving the quality of the environment and protecting human health as laid down in Article 191 TFEU. They also underpin the right to life, integrity of the person and health care laid down in Article 2, 3 and 35 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union and the right to an effective remedy as laid down in Article 47 of the Charter. Moreover, Directive 2004/35/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council does not give private parties a right of compensation as a consequence of environmental damage or of an imminent threat of such damage.

Removed:Recital 32 a (new): (32a) In case of exceptional circumstances like the COVID-19 pandemic or the Russian war against Ukraine, where an installation faces a persistent interruption in the supply of raw materials or fuels or a disruption of an abatement technique’s elements due to force majeure, it could be necessary to temporarily set less strict emission or environmental performance limit values, while ensuring the overall protection of the environment .

Removed:Recital 33: (33) It is therefore appropriate for Directive 2010/75/EU to address the right for compensation for damages suffered by individuals. To ensure that individuals can defend their rights against damages to health caused by violations of Directive 2010/75/EU and thereby ensure a more efficient enforcement of that Directive, non-governmental organisations promoting the protection of human health or the environment, including those promoting the protection of consumers and meeting any requirements under national law, as members of the public concerned, should be empowered to engage in proceedings, as the Member States so determine, either on behalf or in support of any victim, without prejudice to national rules of procedure concerning representation and defence before the courts. Member States enjoy procedural autonomy to ensure an effective remedy against violations of Union law, subject to the respect of the principles of equivalence and effectivity. Experience shows that while there is overwhelming epidemiologic evidence on the negative health impacts of pollution on the population, in particular as regards air, it is difficult for the victims of violations of Directive 2010/75/EU under the procedural rules to demonstrate a causality link between the suffered harm and the violation. As a result, in the majority of cases, victims of violations of Directive 2010/75/EU do not have an effective way to obtain compensation for the harm caused by such violations. To strengthen the rig…