Best Available Techniques Reference Documents (BREFs) are reference reports developed in the European Union to describe industrial processes, emission and consumption levels of applied techniques, and

best available techniques The best available technology or best available techniques (BAT) is the technology approved by legislators or regulators for meeting output standards for a particular process, such as pollution abatement. Similar terms are ''best practicable means ...

for integrated prevention and control of pollution from industrial activities.

Background

BREFs are drawn up through an exchange information between industry,

non-government organizations A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from government. They are typically nonprofit entities, and many of them are active in ...

(NGOs) promoting environmental protection, Member States of the European Union, and the

European Commission The European Commission (EC) is the executive of the European Union (EU). It operates as a cabinet government, with 27 members of the Commission (informally known as "Commissioners") headed by a President. It includes an administrative body o ...

following Article 13(1) of the Industrial Emissions Directive 2010/75/EU. The

organises and coordinates the information exchange through the European Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control Bureau (EIPPCB), which is part of

Directorate-General Within the European Union, Directorates-General are departments with specific zones of responsibility, the equivalent of ministries at a national level. Most are headed by a European Commissioner, responsible for the general direction of the Dir ...

Joint Research Centre The Joint Research Centre (JRC) is the European Commission's science and knowledge service which employs scientists to carry out research in order to provide independent scientific advice and support to European Union (EU) policy. The JRC is ...

. The EIPPCB is located in

Seville Seville (; es, Sevilla, ) is the capital and largest city of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the River Guadalquivir, in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula ...

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

. The information exchange, including the steps for drawing up BREFs, is codified into law b
Commission Implementing Decision 2012/119/EU
ref name=":1"> and commonly referred to as

Sevilla process The Sevilla process is a participatory stakeholder process to establish environmental standards in the European Union. It comprises a structured exchange of information between EU Member States, industry, environmental non-governmental organizations ...

. Most BREFs cover one or several agro-industrial activities listed in Annex I of the Industrial Emissions Directieve 2010/75/EU. Such BREFs are referred to as 'sectoral BREFs'. There are also 'horizontal BREFs' on cross-cutting issues such as energy efficiency, industrial cooling systems, emissions from storage, or monitoring of emissions to air and water. BREFs established under the Industrial Emissions Directive 2010/75/EU contain a chapter on 'BAT conclusions'. This chapter is adopted as stand-alone document through

Comitology Comitology in the European Union refers to a process by which EU law is implemented, modified or adjusted and takes place within "comitology committees" chaired by the European Commission. The official term for the process is committee procedur ...

and is published as EU implementing decision in the

Official Journal of the European Union An official is someone who holds an office (function or mandate, regardless whether it carries an actual working space with it) in an organization or government and participates in the exercise of authority, (either their own or that of their s ...

. 'BAT conclusions' are to be considered by Member States of the European Union as reference when setting permit conditions for all installations within the scope of the

Industrial Emissions Directive The Industrial Emissions Directive (Directive 2010/75/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 November 2010 on industrial emissions (integrated pollution prevention and control)) is a European Union directive which commits Europea ...

Definitions

''Best Available Techniques (BAT) Reference Document (BREF)'' is defined in Article 3(11) of the Industrial Emissions Directive 2010/75/EU as: " ..a document, resulting from the exchange of information organised pursuant to Article 13, drawn up for defined activities and describing, in particular, applied techniques, present emissions and consumption levels, techniques considered for the determination of best available techniques as well as BAT conclusions and any emerging techniques, giving special consideration to the criteria listed in Annex III". ''BAT conclusions'' are defined in Article 3(12) of the Industrial Emissions Directive 2010/75/EU as: " ..a document containing the parts of a BAT reference document laying down the conclusions on best available techniques, their description, information to assess their applicability, the emission levels associated with the best available techniques, associated monitoring, associated consumption levels and, where appropriate, relevant site remediation measures". According t
Commission Implementing Decision 2012/119/EU
a BREF contains the following parts: * Preface * Scope * General information about the sector concerned * Applied processes and techniques * Current emission and consumption levels * Techniques to consider in the determination of BAT *

Best available techniques The best available technology or best available techniques (BAT) is the technology approved by legislators or regulators for meeting output standards for a particular process, such as pollution abatement. Similar terms are ''best practicable means ...

(BAT) conclusions * Emerging techniques * Concluding remarks and recommendations for future work * References * Glossary of terms and abbreviations * Annexes

BREF repository

All published BREFs are available on the webpage of th
European Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control Bureau

References

Air pollution European Union and science and technology Environmental law in the European Union Business organizations based in Europe Industry in the European Union {{EU-stub .