1. © European Communities, 2007 Purpose The European Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control Bureau (European IPPC Bureau) of the JRC/IPTS was set up to support the implementation of the IPPC (Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control) Directive (2008/1/EC), which is a key community instrument for sustainable production and environmental protection. Overview The European IPPC Bureau is the technical centre that catalyses the exchange of information between EU Member States and the industries concerned on the dynamic concept of Best Available Techniques (BAT) and associated monitoring required by the IPPC Directive. As the Bureau is placed in Seville, this is often referred to as the ‘Sevilla Process’. The value and credibity of the 'Sevilla process' not only relies on JRC personnel but also on a network of more than 1200 experts that participate in the Technical Working Groups (TWGs) set up by the European IPPC Bureau. The IPPC Directive The IPPC Directive is a major piece of legislation regulating about 52000 installations in the EU from a wide range of industrial and agricultural activities. It aims, through a system of permits based on Best Available Techniques (BAT), to achieve integrated prevention and control of consumptions of energy, water and raw materials as well as prevention and control of pollution to water, air and soil. The IPPC Directive defines the notion of BAT in a broad sense and asks the Commission to conduct, for each of the sectors covered by the Directive, an exchange of information with Member States and the industries concerned on BAT and associated monitoring. The industrial and agricultural sectors addressed in the Directive are: energy industries production and processing of metals mineral industries chemical industries waste management other activities (e.g. pulp and paper, textiles, slaughterhouses, tanning, food industry). Policy impacts The end result of the work of the European IPPC Bureau is the publication of BAT Reference documents, also called BREFs. These become the references on techniques and associated consumption and emission levels for the Member States authorities responsible for issuing permits to and/or enforcing permits of industrial plants, and for inspecting these plants. In its ten years of existence, the European IPPC Bureau has produced a total of 33 BREFs and the review of several of them has already started. BREFs are made available to the general public on the European IPPC Bureau website, http://eippcb.jrc.ec,europa.eu In 2007, this website registered over 72,000 BREF downloads from all over the world. The BREFs enjoy a very good reputation and it is foreseen to significantly increase their role concerning the implementation of the IPPC Directive. Industrial pollution prevention and control in Europe The ‘Sevilla Process’: an innovative approach for setting standards for the consumption and emissions for relevant industrial installations Contact: Cristina Fernández and Harald Schoenberger European Commission Joint Research Centre Institute for Prospective Technological Studies Tel. +34 95 448 84 24 Fax +34 95 448 84 26 E-mail: Cristina.Fernandez-Ramos@ec.europa.eu