MEPs call for tough restrictions on emissions from older power plants

Date: 04/02/1999

By Renée Cordes

MEPs are seeking to extend proposed EU restrictions on emissions of some pollutants from large power plants to include older installations.

But Europe's power industry is warning that the move could leave it facing a multi-billion-euro bill to pay for changes to existing equipment to cut emissions from plants powered by coal and oil.

Environment Commissioner Ritt Bjerregaard's proposal to amend a 1988 EU directive governing 'large combustion plants' would set new binding ceilings on emissions of sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide, both of which lead to the formation of ground-level ozone and acid rain.

Ozone has been shown to cause respiratory and other health problems, while acid rain destroys vegetation and buildings.

The Commissioner argues that EU-wide rules are needed as the damage caused by pollution from large power plants has an impact beyond the borders of the producer.

She says the proposal would help reduce ground-level ozone and acidification while imposing only modest additional costs on industry.

Under Bjerregaard's plan, the new restrictions would be binding only for power plants authorised after 1 July 198, although she has also proposed non-binding targets for older plants.

But members of the European Parliament's environment committee insist that restrictions are more urgently needed for older plants since they are a greater source of pollution. They point out that newer plants increasingly rely on cleaner energy.

Earlier this week, the committee discussed a set of proposed amendments to the Commission's proposals for the first time.

These include calls for stricter limits on emissions from newer plants in most cases, as well as the introduction of binding restrictions for older plants.

Dutch Christian Democrat MEP Ria Oomen-Ruijten, the committee's rapporteur on the subject, argues that the Commission should come forward with revised proposals for emission limits before July 2007. She is also calling on the institution to eliminate proposed exemptions from the new legislation, such as those suggested for Spain.

The committee hopes to vote on the amendments by mid-March, with the full Parliament set to hold its first reading in April.

While non-governmental organisation European Environmental Bureau applauds the move towards controls for existing plants, it is calling for even stricter limits than those being discussed by the environment committee.

The EU's Economic and Social Committee (ECSC) has welcomed the fact that binding limits on older plants are not within the scope of the Commission proposal, but argues that the proposed limits are too rigorous.

The committee also adopted amendments late last month calling on the institution to give exemptions to countries applying for EU membership.