Council Directive 1999/13/EC of 11 March 1999 on the limitation of emissions of volatile organic compounds due to the use of organic solvents in certain activities and installations
Modified by
Regulation (EC) No 1882/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Councilof 29 September 2003adapting to Council Decision 1999/468/EC the provisions relating to committees which assist the Commission in the exercise of its implementing powers laid down in instruments subject to the procedure referred to in Article 251 of the EC Treaty, 303R1882, October 31, 2003
Directive 2004/42/CE of the European Parliament and of the Councilof 21 April 2004on the limitation of emissions of volatile organic compounds due to the use of organic solvents in certain paints and varnishes and vehicle refinishing products and amending Directive 1999/13/EC, 304L0042, April 30, 2004
Directive 2008/112/EC of the European Parliament and of the Councilof 16 December 2008amending Council Directives 76/768/EEC, 88/378/EEC, 1999/13/EC and Directives 2000/53/EC, 2002/96/EC and 2004/42/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council in order to adapt them to Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 on classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures(Text with EEA relevance), 308L0112, December 23, 2008
Corrected by
Corrigendum to Council Directive 1999/13/EC of 11 March 1999 on the limitation of emissions of volatile organic compounds due to the use of organic solvents in certain activities and installations, 399L0013R(01), July 21, 1999
Corrigendum to Council Directive 1999/13/EC of 11 March 1999 on the limitation of emissions of volatile organics compounds due to the use of organic solvents in certain activities and installations, 399L0013R(02), September 10, 1999
Council Directive 1999/13/ECof 11 March 1999on the limitation of emissions of volatile organic compounds due to the use of organic solvents in certain activities and installationsTHE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 130s(1) thereof,Having regard to the proposal from the CommissionOJ C 99, 26.3.1997, p. 32.,Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social CommitteeOJ C 287, 22.9.1997, p. 55.,Acting in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 189c of the TreatyOpinion of the European Parliament of 14 January 1998 (OJ C 34, 2.2.1998, p. 75), Council Common Position of 16 June 1998 (OJ C 248, 7.8.1998, p. 1) and Decision of the European Parliament of 21 October 1998 (OJ C 341, 9.11.1998, p. 70).,(1)Whereas the European Community action programme on the environment approved by the Council and the representatives of the Governments of the Member States meeting within the Council by resolutions of 22 November 1973OJ C 112, 20.12.1973, p. 1., 17 May 1977OJ C 139, 13.6.1977, p. 1., 7 February 1983OJ C 46, 17.2.1983, p. 1., 19 October 1987OJ C 328, 7.12.1987, p. 1. and 1 February 1993OJ C 138, 1.2.1993, p. 1. stresses the importance of the prevention and reduction of air pollution;(2)Whereas in particular the resolution of 19 October 1987 emphasises the importance of Community action to concentrate, inter alia, on implementation of appropriate standards in order to ensure a high level of public health and environmental protection;(3)Whereas the European Community and its Member States are parties to the Protocol to the 1979 Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution concerning the control of emissions of volatile organic compounds in order to reduce their transboundary fluxes and the fluxes of the resulting secondary photochemical oxidant products so as to protect human health and the environment from adverse effects;(4)Whereas pollution due to volatile organic compounds in one Member State often influences the air and water of other Member States; whereas, in accordance with Article 130r of the Treaty, action at Community level is necessary;(5)Whereas, because of their characteristics, the use of organic solvents in certain activities and installations gives rise to emissions of organic compounds into the air which can be harmful for public health and/or contributes to the local and transboundary formation of photochemical oxidants in the boundary layer of the troposphere which cause damage to natural resources of vital environmental and economic importance and, under certain exposure conditions, has harmful effects on human health;(6)Whereas the high incidence of high tropospheric ozone concentrations in recent years has triggered widespread concern regarding the impact on public health and the environment;(7)Whereas, therefore, preventive action is required to protect public health and the environment against the consequences of particularly harmful emissions from the use of organic solvents and to guarantee citizens the right to a clean and healthy environment;(8)Whereas emissions of organic compounds can be avoided or reduced in many activities and installations because potentially less harmful substitutes are available or will become available within the coming years; whereas, where appropriate substitutes are not available, other technical measures should be taken to reduce emissions into the environment as much as economically and technically feasible;(9)Whereas the use of organic solvents and the emissions of organic compounds which have the most serious effects on public health should be reduced as much as technically feasible;(10)Whereas installations and processes which fall under this Directive should at least be registered if they are not subject to authorisation under Community or national legislation;(11)Whereas existing installations and activities should, where appropriate, be adapted so that within an appropriate period they meet the requirements established for new installations and activities; whereas that period should be consistent with the timetable for compliance of Council Directive 96/61/EC of 24 September 1996 concerning integrated pollution prevention and controlOJ L 257, 10.10.1996, p. 26.;(12)Whereas the relevant parts of existing installations which undergo substantial change must, as a matter of principle, meet the new installation standards for the substantially changed equipment;(13)Whereas organic solvents are used by many different types of installations and activities so that, in addition to general requirements, specific requirements should be defined and, at the same time, thresholds for the size of the installations or activities which have to comply with this Directive;(14)Whereas a high level of environmental protection requires the setting and achievement of emission limits for organic compounds and appropriate operating conditions, in accordance with the principle of best available techniques, for certain installations and activities using organic solvents within the Community;(15)Whereas in some cases Member States may exempt operators from complying with the emission limit values because other measures, such as the use of low-solvent or solvent-free products or techniques, provide alternative means of achieving equivalent emission reductions;(16)Whereas emission-limiting measures adopted before the entry into force of this Directive should be taken into account in an appropriate way;(17)Whereas alternative approaches to reduction may allow the objectives of this Directive to be achieved more effectively than by implementing uniform emission limit values; whereas, therefore, Member States may exempt existing installations from compliance with the emission limits if they implement a national plan, which will, within the timetable for implementation of this Directive, lead to an at least equal reduction in emissions of organic compounds from these activities and installations;(18)Whereas existing installations falling under Directive 96/61/EC which are covered by a national plan can under no circumstances be exempted from the provisions of that Directive, including Article 9(4) thereof;(19)Whereas in many cases small and medium-sized, new and existing installations may be allowed to comply with somewhat less stringent requirements to maintain their competitiveness;(20)Whereas for dry cleaning a zero threshold is appropriate, subject to specified exemptions;(21)Whereas monitoring of emissions is required, including the application of measurement techniques, to assess the mass concentrations or the quantity of the pollutants whose release into the environment is permitted;(22)Whereas operators should reduce emissions of organic solvents, including fugitive emissions, and of organic compounds; whereas a solvent management plan is an important tool to verify this; whereas, although guidance may be given, the solvent management plan is not developed to the stage where a Community methodology can be established;(23)Whereas Member States have to establish a procedure to be followed and measures to be taken where emission limitations are exceeded;(24)Whereas the Commission and the Member States should collaborate in order to ensure that information on the implementation of this Directive and on the progress of substitution options is exchanged,HAS ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE: