Council Directive 87/216/EEC of 19 March 1987 amending Directive 82/501/EEC on the major-accident hazards of certain industrial activities

COUNCIL  DIRECTIVE
of 19 March 1987
amending Directive 82/501/EEC on the major-accident hazards of certain industrial activities
(87/216/EEC)
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 (1),
Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament (2),
Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee (3),
Whereas Article 19 of Council Directive 82/501/EEC (4) requires the Council to review, on a proposal from the Commission, Annexes I, II and III thereof;
Whereas the protection of man and the environment and safety and health protection at work call for the provisions of Directive 82/501/EEC to be strengthened 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 industrial activities involving sulphur dioxide can pose a greater hazard than the isolated storage of sulphur dioxide;
Whereas it is necessary to define more closely some substances 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 it is appropriate that the industrial activities involving ammonium nitrate, sodium chlorate and liquid oxygen and the storage of these substances fall within the scope of Annexes II and III to Directive 82/501/EEC, whenever the respective threshold quantities set out in these Annexes are exceeded;
Whereas it is appropriate that certain amendments should be made to Annex I to Directive 82/501/EEC;
Whereas it is necessary to make it clear that the list of processes set out in Annex I (1) to Directive 82/501/EEC 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 his Annex;
Whereas the Advisory Committee on Safety, Hygiene and Health Protection at Work, set up by Council Decision 74/325/EEC (1), has been consulted,