26.7.93NoC201/4 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities
OpinionontheproposalforaCouncilDirectiveamendingDirective88/609/EEConthe
limitationofemissionsofcertainpollutantsintotheairfromlargecombustionplants—Com­
missionreportontheavailabilityofcoalwithalowsulphurcontent()
(93/C201/02)
On4February1993theCouncildecidedtoconsulttheEconomicandSocialCommittee,
underArticle130SoftheTreatyestablishingtheEuropeanEconomicCommunity,onthe
abovementioned proposal.
TheSectionforProtectionoftheEnvironment,PublicHealthandConsumerAffairs,which
wasresponsibleforpreparingtheCommittee'sworkonthesubject,adopteditsOpinionon
4May1993.TheRapporteurwasMrBoisserée.
Atits306thPlenarySession(meetingof26May1993)theEconomicandSocialCommittee
unanimouslyadoptedthefollowingOpinion.
1.Introduction 2.CommentsontheCommissionproposal
2.1.InkeepingwiththeCommittee'sOpinionof
1984,thepresentCommissionproposalshouldbe
approvedinordertocloseagapintheharmonized
legislationoncleanair.TheCommitteeisalsopleased
thattheCommissionhasappendedtoitsproposed
Directivetheresultsofathoroughandpainstaking
feasibilityreportontheavailabilityofcoalwithalow
sulphurcontent.1.1.TheprovisionsadoptedinpursuanceofCouncil
Directive88/609/EECof24November1988(2)onthe
reductionofemissionsofpollutantsintotheairfrom
largecombustionplantscameintoforceinmid-1990.
Priortoitsadoption,theCouncilhadarguedformany
yearsaboutthisDirective,whichtheEconomicand
SocialCommitteecommentedoninitsOpinionof21
November1984(3).
2.2.TheproposednewDirectiveislimitedinprac­
ticetosmaller,localelectricity-generating stations
(includingstationsinindustrialfirms),andtosmaller
district-heating powerstations(unit-typepowersta­
tions),insofarastheyarecoal-fired.Suchplantsat
presenthavevirtuallynodesulphurization units.1.2.The1988Directivedrawsdistinctionsinanum­
berofareas,butdifferentiatesinparticularbetween
gas-,oil-andcoal-firedplants,andbetweenplant-size.
Inprincipleitcoversplantswitharatedthermalinput
of50MWormore.Nevertheless ,theexistingpro­
visionsonthelimitationofsulphur-dioxide emissions
fromplantsusingsolidfuels(particularlycoal-fired
systems)areapplicableonlytoplantsover100MWth.2.3.TheCommission'sproposal,whichfollowson
fromitsreportontheavailabilityofcoalwithalow
sulphurcontent,isformulatedinsuchawaythattargets
canbereachedwithoutdesulphurization equipmentby
simplyusingthelowsulphurcoalwhichisreadily
availableonthemarket.1.3.ThepresentproposalforaDirectiveiscon­
cernedwithlimitingsulphur-dioxide (S02)emissions
fromsolid-fuelplantsinthe50to100MWthrange.It
aimstocloseanexistingloopholebutistoapplyonly
tonewplantsapprovedafter1July1987.Existing
plantswillcontinuetobesubjecttoArticle3ofDirec­
tive88/609/EECwhichstipulatesthatMemberStates
aretodrawupandimplementphasedemission-
reductionprogrammesinaccordancewithAnnexIof
thesaidDirective .2.4.However,state-of-the-art technologyissuch
thatfluegasdesulphurization equipmentisavailable
evenforplantscoveredbythedraftDirective.Insome
MemberStatesdesulphurization equipmenthasalready
beenfittedtocoal-firedplantsinthe50-100MWth
range,especiallywhennecessitatedbypractical
environmental considerations ;throughsuchaction,
substantiallylowerwaste-gasemissionlevelshavebeen
achievedthanwouldotherwisehavebeenpossiblesim­
plybyusingcoalwithalowsulphurcontent.1.4.UnderthenewlyproposedDirective,theS02
limitvalueistobesetat2000mgSO2/m3,i.e.the
ceilingistobethesameasthatalreadyfixedfor100
MWthplants.
2.5.ThedraftDirectiveisbasedonArticle130Sof
theEECTreaty.InaccordancewithArticle130T,
MemberStatesareentitledtotakemorestringent
measuresthanthoseadoptedbytheCommunity .
Article4(3)ofDirective88/609/EECconsequently
stipulatesthatMemberStatesmayrequirecompliance(1)OJNoC17,22.1.1993,p.12.
(2)OJNoL336,7.12.1988.
(3)OJNoC25,28.1.1985.

26.7.93 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC201/5
withmorestringentemissionlimitvalues.Thispro­
visionalsoappliesinfulltoplantscoveredbythe
presentproposalforaDirective,whichmeansthat
thereisnothingtostopMemberStatesinfuturefrom
insistingontheinstallationoffluegasdesulphurization
unitsinspecificcases.MemberStatesshouldbeurged
—eitherintheDirectiveitselforinsomeotherway—to
exploitthisopportunityinordertofurthertechnologi­
calprogressandthecommercialfeasibilityofthistech­
nology.TheCommissionshouldalsopromotesuch
technologically advancedsolutionsintheCommunity's
existingprogrammes .
2.6.TheCommissionwillreviewthewholebodyof
legislationonemissionsfrompower-andheat-generat­ingplants(largecombustionplants)in1995andincor­
poratethelatesttechnologicaladvancesintheharmoni­
zedprovisions.Suchactionwillmakeitpossibleto
complywiththeMaastrichtTreatywhoseaimisto
achieveahighlevelofprotection,basedonprecaution­
aryaction,againstenvironmental damage(Article
130RoftheMaastrichtTreaty).
2.7.TheCommitteewouldproposeinconnection
withthe1995reviewofthewholebodyoflegislation
thataninvestigationbecarriedoutintowhetherornot
emissionlimitsforexistingplantsshouldbeincorpor­
atedintheharmonizedlegislation(maybeinphases)so
astoputanendtothedifferentnationalrulescurrently
possibleunderArticle3ofDirective88/609/EEC.
DoneatBrussels,26May1993.
TheChairman
oftheEconomicandSocialCommittee
SusanneTIEMANN