Industrial emissions, the EU gives birth to the sop rule

The European Union Parliament has definitively approved the agreement reached with the Member States on the revision of the Industrial Emissions Directive (IED).The votes in favor were 393, 173 against and 49 abstentions.The IED Directive is an essential rule to prevent pollution at source from approximately 50,000 European industrial plants.However, the process was rather troubled:the law has in fact had to overcome various obstacles that have weakened it from time to time.Until the end, for example, the most conservative groups attempted to further loosen the constraints on intensive farming, but in the end the majority of MEPs adopted the agreement negotiated last November which, however, provides already important concessions to the most impactful livestock farms.At present, the law extends measures on industrial emissions to pig farms with more than 350 heads of livestock, while companies that raise them extensively or organically are excluded.For poultry, the directive applies to farms with more than 300 laying hens and to those with more than 280 broilers.For companies that raise both pigs and poultry, the limit will be 380 animals in total.By 31 December 2026, the Commission will then have to evaluate whether to also intervene on cattle farms, which at the moment however, they remain excluded from the adoption of more stringent emission limits.

Italy, just like the rest of the European right, has always pushed for the directive to spare intensive farming.A completely anachronistic position as it is in clear contrast with the much vaunted valorization of "Made in Italy".In fact, small and medium-sized agricultural companies - the true custodians of local agri-food excellence - would have benefited a competitive advantage from the imposition of more stringent limits on the largest and most industrialized intensive farms.Overall, it is clear that for the Meloni Government the protection of industrial interests takes priority over that of the environment.However, considering the objectives of the directive, public health is also of secondary importance for the Italian executive.In Italy, intensive farming is the second cause of the formation of fine particles responsible for around 50 thousand premature deaths every year.According to the European Commission, the proposal original which included cattle farms would have made it possible to regulate the emissions of approximately half of existing farms, with a consequent environmental and health benefit of 5.5 billion euros per year.Overall, the final decision to exclude cattle farming would be antithetical to the EU Green Deal itself:according to the European Environment Agency, the livestock sector alone is responsible for 54% of all methane emissions in the EU, and this is mainly due to cattle.

In any case, the one approved in recent days remains the main EU instrument for limiting air, water and soil pollution by large industrial plants.The legislation will introduce the obligation for the industrial sectors concerned to set levels of harmful emissions as stringent as possible.To combat water scarcity, there will be mandatory environmental performance targets on water consumption.Regarding waste, resource efficiency, energy efficiency and the use of raw materials, binding objectives will be set within a range of values, while they will be indicative regarding the use of new techniques.The directive also covers plants in the extractive industry (mines) and large plants that produce batteries.It will also be improved transparency and public participation in relation to the provision of licences, operation and control of regulated facilities.This will be possible through the creation of the EU Industrial Emissions Portal, which will replace the current European register of polluting emissions.In the portal, citizens will be able to access data on all community licenses and local polluting activities.Companies that do not comply may be penalized for a sum equal to at least 3% of the annual turnover of the operator who committed the most serious infringements.Member States will also have to give the possibility to request compensation from citizens harmed by non-compliance with the rules.

[by Simone Valeri]