HAZBREF

The Interreg project HAZBREF provided valuable recommendations and paved the way for legally binding commitments on the use and risk management of hazardous substances and chemicals to prevent their release into the Baltic Sea.

The opportunity

The Industrial Emissions Directive is the main instrument on the EU level to control hazardous substances that are released from industrial sites. However, its reference documents, or BREFs, currently lack specific information on certain hazardous substances.

The project aimed at closing this knowledge gap so that industry and authorities could manage hazardous substances being released into the Baltic Sea better. The project strived for narrowing the gap experienced by both operators of installations and environmental authorities. Both target groups do not always know which substances are environmentally most relevant to address and by which management measures the releases can be reduced.

Furthermore, the project sought to enhance the institutional capacity of environmental permitting and supervision authorities as well as industrial installations on use and risk management of hazardous chemicals in industries in the participating countries Finland, Sweden, Germany, Poland and Estonia and even broader in the Baltic Sea region and throughout Europe.

Budgets

HAZBREF
in numbers

1.99

Million

Total
1.53

Million

Erdf
0.00

Million

Eni + Russia
0.00

Million

Norway

Achievements

Timely recommendations delivered

Against the backdrop of recent policy initiatives by the European Commission and the review of the Industrial Emissions Directive (IED), the recommendations and findings of the project came in a timely manner. Project recommendations and results have been well received by EU Member State representatives and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) contributing to the ongoing EU IED review work. HAZBREF results have been useful during the review of BREFs related to the use and release of chemicals. For example, the review of BREF for the textile sector is the first in which recommendations and findings of HAZBREF have been taken up in Best Available Technique conclusions. Once they are published, the implementation of these conclusions will be legally binding throughout the EU, including coastal Member States that discharge into the Baltic Sea. This will result in a real improvement in the quality of the Baltic Sea.

Benefits of strengthened cooperation

HAZBREF’s recommendation to use all available information on hazardous substances and chemicals in the BREF processes was taken up and led to improving cooperation between the European Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control Bureau (EIPPCB), establishing the BREFs, with the European Integrated Chemicals Agency (ECHA).

Sectoral guidance provided

Additionally, the project issued sectoral guidance based on case studies, interviews with authorities, expert judgement, and input from stakeholders. The guidance includes good practices in chemical management for installations and involved authorities. Based on this, measures recommended by HAZBREF to curb the pollution by hazardous substances have been taken-up by HELCOM in their review of the Baltic Sea Action Plan. The positive impact of the HAZBREF project could also continue beyond the Baltic Sea and EU borders. Its results have been presented at the OECD and have been integrated into its work on circular economy.

The Interreg project HAZBREF used EUR 1.96 mill from the European Union to improve existing tools to control hazardous substances released from industrial sites. The project covered such industries as the textile industry, chemical industry and ferrous metals processing by improving the quality of the information on best available techniques in hazardous substances and chemicals management. Thus the project contributed to the prevention of hazardous substances and chemicals released into the Baltic Sea.

Outputs

Strengthening chemicals management in Best Available Techniques Reference Documents

The HAZBREF project’s input to the ongoing EU Industrial Emissions Directive (IED) revision work on improving chemical management issues in the BREF process can be found in this report. It investigated how the process of BREF reviews and BAT conclusions could be systematised and improved in the use and release of substances of concern and hazardous substances. Particular emphasis was given to possibilities to better use available and relevant data generated in the context of other pertinent EU legislation at the right time during this process. The report not only proposed general measures for improving the BAT information exchange but also focused on what has to be improved, by which means, and how it could be done. It is targeted at environmental and chemical authorities and experts across the EU, specifically the EIPPCB and ECHA, but also at sectoral industrial organisations.

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HAZBREF circular economy report

How are Circular Economy (CE) issues currently dealt with in the BREF process? What are the legislative barriers to better integration of CE within BREFs? How can the generation of non-toxic material circles be addressed in BREFs? These are some of the questions that the report sought answers to. The report is intended for industry organisations, industrial installations, public authorities, or experts working on environmental permitting and supervision. The report on “Promoting non-toxic material cycles in the preparation of Best Available Technique Reference Documents (BREFs)” focused on enabling the progress of Circular Economy (CE) by promoting clean, non-toxic material cycles through the BREF process. It focused specifically on three industrial sectors: polymers and fertilisers from the chemical sector, the textile sector and the surface treatment of metals and plastics.

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