Commission Implementing Decision
of 7 May 2012
concerning the determination of start-up and shut-down periods for the purposes of Directive 2010/75/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council on industrial emissions
(notified under document C(2012) 2948)
(Text with EEA relevance)
(2012/249/EU)
THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,
Whereas:
Directive 2010/75/EU does not determine start-up and shut-down periods, while those periods relate to several provisions in that Directive.
For combustion plants covered by Chapter III of Directive 2010/75/EU, the determination of start-up and shut-down periods is required for assessing compliance with the emission limit values set out in Annex V to Directive 2010/75/EU, taking into account Part 4 of that Annex, as well as for determining the number of operating hours of the combustion plants, where it is relevant for the implementation of that Directive.
Article 14(1)(f) of Directive 2010/75/EU requires the permit to include measures relating to conditions other than normal operating conditions, such as start-up and shut-down operations. In accordance with Article 6 of Directive 2010/75/EU, such measures can be included in general binding rules.
The emissions from combustion plants during start-up and shut-down periods are generally at elevated concentrations compared to normal operating conditions. In view of the objective of Directive 2010/75/EU to prevent emissions, those periods should be as short as possible.
The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Committee established by Article 75 of Directive 2010/75/EU,
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: