The Government of the Republic of Serbia adopted the Proposal for the Law on Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control, which was subsequently enacted by the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia at its session held on 10 July this year. The implementation of the new Law is expected to contribute to strengthening the industrial emissions control system and further aligning national legislation with the European Union acquis. After more than twenty years of implementation of the existing legal framework, the new Law introduces changes aimed at modernising the integrated permitting system and further improving industrial pollution control.
The new Law is aligned with the Industrial Emissions Directive 2010/75/EU (IED), which establish the framework for integrated pollution prevention and control. The new legislation extends the integrated permitting system to additional industrial activities listed in Annex I of the Directive. As a result, additional installations in Serbia will be required to obtain an integrated permit.
The new Law also establishes the legal basis for the application of general binding rules (GBRs) for certain industrial activities, where such an approach is applicable, as well as for the mandatory application of Best Available Techniques (BAT) conclusions when determining conditions in integrated permits, including emission limit values (ELVs). This further aligns the national system with the approach applied in the European Union in the field of industrial emissions.
The Law also provides for the digitalisation of the integrated permitting procedure through the establishment of a central electronic database and an accompanying portal. These tools are expected to improve information exchange, facilitate permitting procedures and contribute to greater transparency through clearly defined public participation, improved access to information and opportunities to participate in decision-making processes. The Law further regulates operators’ obligations regarding compliance with integrated permit conditions, as well as procedures for monitoring their implementation.
The adoption of the new IPPC Law represents a step towards modernising Serbia’s industrial pollution control system. Its implementation will require the adoption of necessary secondary legislation, as well as adjustments to procedures and practices within the new legal framework. In the coming period, the IED Serbia project will support the development of five secondary legal acts aimed at facilitating the implementation of the new legal framework and further alignment with the European Union acquis.