THE CHALLENGE OF INDUSTRY

DO YOU FIND THIS INTERESTING?

Industrial policy

The industrial policy aims at promoting economic growth, employment and the protection of the environment. An environmental approach is essential given that industrial activities generate 20% of the discharges into the water and 80% of the greenhouse effect gases that lead to climate change.

The Directive on Industrial Emissions imposes a number of ever more demanding environmental controls on companies, basing authorisations on the following principles:

• Overall approach: The environmental impact of an entire plant is taken into consideration: emissions into the air and water, waste generated, consumption of raw materials, energy efficiency, noise, accident prevention and the restoration of the location once activities are discontinued.
• Available technical improvements: Authorisations that include emission limits must be based on the best technical know-how available, which are documented and distributed so that they can be adopted throughout the Union.
• Flexibility: Applied under certain circumstances based on the technical features of the installations, their geographical location and the conditions of the local environment.
• Participation of the public: The Directive ensures that the public has the right to take part in decision-making processes, to be informed of any consequences and to access any documents related to each authorisation and to the European Pollutant Emission Register.

The implementation of environmental protection measures is expensive for companies. Therefore, important support mechanisms are placed at the disposal of industries to improve their industrial efficiency.

Environmental Technologies Action Plan. This plan promotes the replacement of technologies that are no longer appropriate for the sustainable increase in production.

WSSTP - Water Supply and Sanitation Technology Platform: A multi-sector initiative (industry, agriculture, town development...) to obtain further knowledge and new technologies for the supply of safe, clean, profitable and sustainable water and sanitation.

Do you find this interesting?