Pollutants in Europe: what, where and how much

European Pollutant Release and Transfer Register Data11th May 2010

Getting common emissions data

European PRTR in the international context

What is E-PRTR

- Quick facts on data collection

- Activities and substances

Tracking pollution across EU

Future steps

Content of the presentation

Enhance discussion on comparable emissions data

• Which goals have PRTR registers?

Cover significant releases from industrial point sources and diffuse source

Annual multi-media dataflow

• What can increase PRTR data comparability and use?

Data review on quality, completeness and consistency with other emission data

Streamlining reporting requirements, review of scope (thresholds, pollutants, activities)

Easy data access

• Which input can TFEIP provide to foster comparative analysis?

Exchange concrete suggestions to review more PRTR data from an inventory work perspective (data availability, changes in emission factors/methodologies, etc)

Suggest changes in reporting requirements/data format to improve data use, enhance data comparability and avoid double reporting

UN-ECE Protocol on Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers under the Aarhus Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters

23 Parties (18 EU MS + Albania, Croatia, Norway, Switzerland) + EU

Entered into force October 2009

Data available as of 2012 (reference year 2010)

86 pollutants

Regulation (EC) 166/2006 establishing the European PRTR Based on previous register EPER and IPPC Directive

27 EU Member States + Iceland, Lichtenstein, Norway, Switzerland

Data available as of 2009 (reference year 2007)

91 pollutants *

* Hexabromobiphenyl, Octylphenols, Fluoranthene, Isodrin, Benzo(g,h,i)perylene + 86

Where data are collected - internationally

International framework for data access

OECD Task Force on PRTR – prtr.net Portal

What is PRTR?

• A Process: Annual XML Data flow + Data validation and Review

• A Product: Publicly database accessible on-line

• A Tool: Knowledge and participation on environmental matters

• Data is submitted to reporting countries by 31 March (year-2)

• Data is validated at EU level (semi-automatic) and reviewed prior to publication

• Data goes on-line before the summer

Quick facts: Scope

Who has to report? Each facility

≥ Capacity threshold (Annex I) One or more E-PRTR economic activities Exceeding capacity threshold

≥ Release/transfer threshold (Annex II) Exceeding off-site transfers waste thresholds

and/or Exceeding pollutant releases specific thresholds

65 activities in 9 sectors: • Energy • Production and processing of metals • Mineral industry • Chemical industry *• Waste and waste water management • Paper and wood production and processing • Intensive livestock production and Aquaculture • Animal and vegetable products from the food and

beverage sector• Other activities.

* No thresholds

91 pollutants in 7 groups:• Greenhouse gases

• Other gases

• Heavy metals

• Pesticides

• Chlorinated organic substances

• Other organic substances

• Inorganic substances.

Quick facts: Reporting format

• Voluntary Data – optional

Production volume

Nº of installations

Nº of operating hours/year

Nº of employees

Website or Information box

• Mandatory Data – confidentiality

Facility specific data (ID, company name and geographical coordinates)

Releases to air / water / soil for each pollutant exceeding the threshold value

Off-site transfers of waste and of pollutants in waste-water exceeding the threshold value

Accidental releases

Quick facts: Data validation and review

Tracking emissions at EU levelAggregated data by Sector, Pollutant, Transfer

• By Area, Region and River Basin

• By Time Series

Data review in cooperation with ETCs and EEA

Stage I (outliers, increase/decrease overtime and geo checks)

– first half 2010

Stage II (potential inconsistency with other datasets) – second half 2010:

• E-PRTR with sectoral emissions under CLRTAP and UNFCCC

• E-PRTR with waste statistics (Eurostat)

• E-PRTR with UWWTPs

Data overview - by area/ GHGs

Data overview - area comparison /SF6

Data overview by time series – Hg in air

Future step: where do we see the potentials

• Synergies between bottom-up and top down approach: - improve quality of data in emission inventories - streamlining reporting requirements• Dialogue on data quality and completeness with experts, research

community and various task forces (TFEIP, WISE, etc)• Detailed analysis for some pollutants (e.g. POPs, Hg, F gases, ODS)

and sub-activities depending on emission inventory data availability• Engage NGOs and Industry association in the final stage of the data

review

Thank youDania Cristofaro

DG Environment - Directorate C IndustryUnit C3 Industrial emissions