Council Directive 88/610/EEC of 24 November 1988 amending Directive 82/501/EEC on the major-accident hazards of certain industrial activities

COUNCIL DIRECTIVE of 24 November 1988 amending Directive 82/501/EEC on the major-accident hazards of certain industrial activities (88/610/EEC)
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, and in particular Article 130s thereof,
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission(1),
Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament(2),
Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Comittee(3),
Whereas the protection of man and the environment calls for the provisions of Directive 82/501/EEC(4), as last amended by Directive 87/216/EEC(5), to be strengthened with regard to the storage of dangerous substances or preparations;
Whereas the present amendment to Directive 82/501/EEC extends and strengthens Annex II of that Directive concerning the storage of dangerous substances or preparations, whether in bulk or in packaged form;
Whereas the storage of dangerous substances or preparations may present a major-accident hazard both when the storage is associated with an industrial operation and when the storage is isolated or located within an installation, without being associated  with an industrial operation;
Whereas the storage of dangerous substances or preparations to which Directive 82/501/EEC must be applied can be identified by a list of chemical names or by a list of categories of danger according to the classification and labelling requirements laid  down in other relevant Community Directives, together with their respective threshold quantities; whereas such categories of substances or preparations should be the ones classified as ´very toxic', ´toxic', ´explosive', ´oxidizing', ´extremely  flammable' and ´highly flammable';
Whereas the provisions with regard to information to the public laid down in Article 8 of Directive 82/501/EEC need to be strengthened and better defined in order to ensure that any person liable to be affected by a major accident originating in a  notified industrial activity within the meaning of Article 5 of that Directive is appropriately and effectively informed, in a harmonized way throughout the whole Community, on all matters relating to safety; whereas area and persons liable to be  affected are defined by reference to the nature, extent and likely effects of possible major accidents occuring in the industrial activities;
Whereas it is necessary that the content of the information referred to in Article 8 of Directive 82/501/EEC shall be clearly specified; whereas, in order to mitigate the consequences of a major accident, the persons concerned need to know the potential  hazards and the measures to be taken; whereas it is necessary that such information has to be communicated on an active basis to the persons concerned, without a request being made, through some kind of public information media, such as leaflets or  information boards;
Whereas, in its Resolution adopted on 24 November 1986, the Council invited the Commission to review the Community measures for the prevention of major accidents and the limitation of their consequences and, if necessary, to present appropriate  proposals;
Whereas the Commission will present a proposal for a complete and systematic revision of the Annexes of Directive 82/501/EEC once further experience has been obtained;
Whereas the Advisory Committee on Safety, Hygiene and Health Protection at Work, set up by Decision 74/325/EEC(6), has been consulted,