26.11. 85 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 305/9 
II 
(Preparatory Acts) 
COMMISSION 
Proposal for a Council Directive amending Directive 82/501/EEC on the major-accident 
hazards of certain industrial activities 
COM(85) 572 final 
(Submitted by the Commission to the Council on 4 November 1985) 
(85/C 305/07) 
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, 
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European 
Economic Community, and in particular Articles 100 and 
235 thereof, 
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, 
Having regard to the opinion of the European Par­
liament, 
Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and 
Social Committee, 
Whereas Article 19 of Council Directive 82/501/EEC O 
requires the Council to review, on a proposal from the 
Commission, Annexes I, II and III thereof at the latest 
by 8 January 1986; 
Whereas for the protection of man and the environment 
and safety and health protection at work it is appropriate 
to reinforce the provisions of the Directive 82/501/EEC 
with regard to some industrial activities which involve or 
may involve particularly dangerous substances; 
Whereas for some particularly toxic substances it is 
necessary to lower the threshold quantities set out in 
Annexes II and III in order that all industrial activities 
which involve or may involve these substances in 
quantities equal to or above the given threshold levels are 
covered by Article 5 of Directive 82/501/EEC, with a 
view to reducing the hazards of major accidents and 
enabling the necessary steps to be taken to reduce their 
consequences; 
Whereas it is necessary to cover the industrial activities 
which involve or may involve sulphur trioxide and liquid 
oxygen and the isolated storage of sulphur trioxide, as 
they may have serious consequences for man and the 
environment in the event of a major accident; 
Whereas the hazard presented by sulphur dioxide in 
isolated storage is the same as that presented by sulphur 
dioxide in industrial activities; Whereas it is necessary to define more closely some subs­
tances or groups of substances and to amend the 
corresponding threshold quantities in order to reflect the 
different range of hazards posed by the different forms 
and types of these substances or groups of substances; 
Whereas ammonium nitrate, sodium chlorate and liquid 
oxygen are, according to present technical knowledge, 
always in a state which gives them properties capable of 
creating a major-accident hazard; 
Whereas it seems opportune to combine the first and 
second indents of Annex I (1); whereas it seems 
necessary to make it clear that Annex 1(1) covers instal­
lations for the production, processing or treatment of 
organic or inorganic chemicals; 
Whereas it seems necessary to make it clear that the list 
of processes set out in Annex 1(1) is not exhaustive, but 
merely gives examples of some important operations and 
that all other operations which could be used for the 
production, processing or treatment of organic or 
inorganic chemicals are also covered by this Annex; 
Whereas the Advisory Committee on Safety, Hygiene 
and Health Protection at Work, set up by Council 
Decision 74/325/EEC (2), has been consulted, 
HAS ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE: 
Article 1 
Directive 82/501/EEC is hereby amended as follows: 
1. Annexes I, II and III are amended in accordance with 
the Annex hereto. 
2. In Article 9 (3), '8 January 1985' is in each case 
replaced by '[the date in question — six months 
following notification]'. 
0) OJ No L 230, 5. 8. 1982, p. 1. (2) OJ No L 185, 9. 7. 1974, p. 15. 
No C 305/10 Official Journal of the European Communities 26.11.85 
Article 2 
1. Member States shall take the measures necessary to 
comply with this Directive at the latest on 30 November 
1986. They shall forthwith inform the Commission 
thereof. 2. Member States shall communicate to the 
Commission the provisions of national law which they 
adopt in the field covered by this Directive. 
Article 3 
This Directive is addressed to the Member States. 
ANNEX 
1. Annex I: 
Industrial installations within the meaning of Article 1 
(a) In 1, first indent, the words 'Installations for the production or processing of organic and inorganic 
chemicals using for this purpose, in particular:' are replaced by the following words: 
'Installations for the production, processing or treatment of organic or inorganic chemicals using for 
this purpose, amongst others:' 
(b) In 1, second indent, the words 'Installations for the processing of organic and inorganic chemical 
substances, using for this purpose, in particular:' are deleted and the rest of this indent becomes part 
of the first indent. 
(c) 4, 'Installations for the production or processing of energy gases, for example, LPG, LNG, SNG' is 
replaced by the following: 
'Installations for the production, processing or treatment of energy gases, for example LPG, LNG, 
SNG'. 
2. Annex II: 
Storage at installations other than those covered by Annex I ('isolated storage') 
(a) Footnote (') referring to 'Flammable gases as defined in Annex IV (c) (i)' is deleted. 
(b) Footnote (2) referring to 'ammonium nitrate', 'sodium chlorate' and 'liquid oxygen' is deleted. 
(c) The quantities of the substance chlorine are replaced by the following quantities: 
Quantities (tonnes) > 
For application of 
Articles 3 and 4 
10 For application of 
Article 5 
50 
(d) The designation and the quantities of the substance ammonium nitrate are replaced by the 
following: 
7 (a) Ammonium nitrate (') 
7 (b) Ammonium nitrate in the form of fertilizers (2) Quantities (tonnes) > 
For application of 
Articles 3 and 4 
250 
500 For application of 
Article 5 
2 500 
5 000 
(') This includes mixtures of ammonium nitrate where the nitrogen content derived from the ammonium nitrate is 
> 28 % by weight and aqueous solutions of ammonium nitrate where the concentration of ammonium nitrate is 
> 90 % by weight. 
(2) This applies to straight ammonium nitrate fertilizers which comply with the Directive 80/876/EEC and to compound 
fertilizers where the nitrogen content derived from the ammonium nitrate is > 28 °/o by weight (a compound fertilizer 
contains ammonium nitrate together with phosphate and/or potash). 
26.11.85 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 305/11 
(e) The following substance is added: 
10. Sulphur trioxide Quantities (tonnes) > 
For application of 
Articles 3 and 4 
15 For application of 
Article 5 
50 
3. Annex HI: 
List of substances for the application of Article 5 
(a) The footnote (') referring to 'ammonium nitrate' and 'sodium chlorate' is deleted. 
(b) The designation and quantity of the substance No 146 'ammonium nitrate' are replaced by the 
following: 
Name 
146 (a) Ammonium nitrate (') 
146 (b) Ammonium nitrate in the form of fertilizers (2) Quantity > 
2 500 
5 000 CAS No EEC No 
(c) The designation and quantity of the entry No 118 'cobalt (powders and compounds)' are replaced 
by the following: 
Name 
118 (a) Cobalt metal, oxides, carbonates, sulphides, as 
powders 
118 (b) Cobalt chlorides Quantity > 
500 kg 
5 tonnes CAS No. EEC No 
(d) The designation and quantity of the entry No 119 'nickel (powders and compounds)' are replaced 
by the following: 
Name 
119(a) Nickel metal, oxides, carbonates, sulphides, as 
powders 
119(b) Nickel chlorides 
119(c) Nickel sulphates Quantity > 
100 kg 
5 tonnes 
5 tonnes CAS No EEC No 
(e) The quantity of the substance No 15 'carbonyl chloride (Phosgene)' is replaced by the following 
quantity: 
1 tonne 
(f) The quantity of the substance No 16 'chlorine' is replaced by the following quantity: 
10 tonnes 
(g) The quantity of the substance No 36 'methyl isocyanate' is replaced by the following quantity: 
150 kg 
(h) The quantity of the substance No 148 'sulphur dioxide' is replaced by the following quantity: 
500 tonnes 
(') This includes mixtures of ammonium nitrate where the nitrogen content derived from the ammonium nitrate is 
> 28 % by weight and aqueous solutions of ammonium nitrate where the concentration of ammonium nitrate is 
> 90 % by weight. 
(2) This applies to straight ammonium nitrate fertilizers which comply with the Directive 80/876/EEC and to compound 
fertilizers where the nitrogen content derived from the ammonium nitrate is > 28 % by weight (a compound fertilizer 
contains ammonium nitrate together with phosphate and/or potash). 
No C 305/12 Official Journal of the European Communities 26.11.85 
(i) The following substance is added: 
Name 
179 Liquid oxygen Quantity > 
2 000 tonnes CAS No 
7782-44-7 EEC No 
008-001-00-8 
(j) The following substance is added: 
Name 
180 Sulphur trioxide Quantity > 
25 tonnes CAS No 
7446-11-9 EEC No