5. Conclusion

The Industrial Emissions Directive, known as "IED", aims to impose the implementation of best available techniques at European level, in order to reduce pollution and limit distortion of environmental competition through compliance with sectoral performance levels. The BREF revision process has been considerably strengthened to ensure a transparent and constructive exchange of information, based in particular on analysis of the actual situation at operating sites.

Member States and industry representatives have every interest in being involved in this work, in order to put forward their arguments and defend any specific features that would not lend themselves well to "generic" BAT defined for the sector as a whole.

At plant level, the studies required to demonstrate the implementation of BAT should logically be more in-depth and focused...