Sites requiring integrated pollution prevention and control permits

What is the status of permitting of IPPC sites?

The environmental permitting of particular operations is a key tool for ensuring the achievement of environmental quality standards. The environmental permitting system ensures that certain types of activities are obliged to obtain operational permits, due to their nature, scale or environmental impact. Permits are granted on the basis of achievement of particular environmental standards, and are underpinned by regular environmental audits.

The Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control Directive and its corresponding national legislation provide the legal basis for this. Permitting legislation takes an integrated approach, taking into consideration the entire environ- ­mental performance of the plant, and obliging operators to use best available techniques. The IPPC process also includes public participation, by means of which citizens have access to applications, permits, and the results of releases monitoring. As of end 2009, nine of the 13 installations requiring an IPPC permit had been permitted, improving on the situation in 2008, when six of the 14 installations requiring a permit had been permitted. Various types of operations require environmental permits, and the current list of IPPC installations includes operations in the chemical and energy sector, and certain waste management facilities. In addition as of end 2009, 72 environmental permits were given to non-IPPC sites. For more information see The Environment Report Indicators 2009 at www.mepa.org.mt/teri2009