Integrated pollution prevention and control (IPPC)

Abstract

Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC) is a holistic approach aiming at preventing or minimizing the environmental consequences of industrial processes, products and economic sectors. The approach recognizes the integrated nature of the environment, combining the effects of substances or activities on the different environmental media (air, water, and soil), the living organisms (including people) that these media support, and the cultural and esthetic assets. Following a set of guiding principles established through international cooperation by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the European Union implemented this approach in the regulatory context in 1996, through the IPPC Directive, which was later updated and further integrated into the Industrial Emissions Directive (IED). The IPPC approach is implemented for regulatory decisions through permit systems, which are based on the Best Available Techniques (BAT) concept. BAT are used for setting emission limit values and other permit conditions designed to prevent and, where that is not practicable, to reduce emissions and the impact on the environment as a whole.