CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK FOR THE BREF DOCUMENTS SELECTION AND BAT DESIGN AS ADVISABLE RESPONSE TO EU INDUSTRIAL EMISSIONS DIRECTIVE DEMANDS

Abstract

In the average national environmental management system of a medium-developed economy, the total registered emissions of pollutants are dominated by those originating from large industrial activities, public utilities, ore and oil extraction and related processing operations, followed by transportation, large farms and waste-related activities (incineration primarily). According to novel European practice, within the part of emissions originating from large emitters, a special focus is given to large industrial and other operators (commonly known as IPPC operators) which, although represented in smaller numbers, emit the largest share of industrial emissions (recognized as Pareto rule). At the level of the European Union (EU), this approach to pollution control originating from large industrial operators is regulated in detail by the provisions of the IPPC/IED – Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control/Industrial Emissions Directive, with numerous technical and organizational guidelines expressed in relevant BREF (Best available technique REFerence) documents. Given that the importance, content and usability of BREF documents are still underappreciated among IED operators as well as among competent authorities issuing integrated permits on the territory of the Republic of Serbia, this paper aims to analyse and present in а synthetized way the most important requirements and guidelines given in the relevant BREF documents. Additionally, an appropriate model of the BAT (Best Available Technique) evaluation, selection, implementation and effectiveness/performance monitoring system is given. Also, special attention was paid to the procedure for issuing an integrated permit, as well as to the stages and steps in the process of selecting the appropriate best available techniques (BATs).