Report on the application in the Member States of Directive 96/82/EC on the control of major-accident hazards involving dangerous substances for the period 2012-2014

Major accidents involving dangerous substances pose a significant threat to humans and the environment. Furthermore such accidents cause substantial economic losses and disrupt sustainable growth. At the same time the use of large amounts of dangerous substances is unavoidable in some industry sectors which are vital for a modern industrialised society. To minimise the associated risks, measures are necessary to prevent major accidents and to ensure appropriate preparedness and response should such accidents nevertheless happen.

Council Directive 96/82/EC on the control of major-accident hazards involving dangerous substances ("Seveso-II Directive") provides for the relevant framework on risk management measures to prevent major accidents and to limit their consequences. The Seveso-II Directive was replaced by Directive 2012/18/EU ("Seveso-III Directive") that had to be transposed by Member States by 31 May 2015.

Under Article 19(4) of the Seveso-II Directive, Member States provide the Commission with a three-yearly report on the implementation of the Directive. The Commission publishes a summary of this information every three years. The present report primarily provides this summary for the period 2012-2014.

In addition, the replacement of the Seveso-II Directive by the Seveso-III Directive provides for an opportunity to assess not only the latest reporting period but also to consider the overall progress made during the lifetime of the Seveso-II Directive.

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