The Joint Research Centre of the European Commission (JRC) has published new binding Best Available Techniques (BAT) Conclusions relating to slaughterhouses, animal by-products and/or the edible co-products industries, adopted in accordance with the Industrial Emissions Directive (IED) to reduce the harmful impacts stemming from this sector. The new binding norms aim to increase the level of protection of human health and the environment by prescribing BAT for achieving emission limit values across all environmental media, including noise emissions and odour emissions.
Industrial installations subject to the IED and obligated to apply the new BAT conclusions concern the following activities: slaughterhouses with a carcass production capacity greater than 50 tonnes per day, disposal or recycling of animal carcasses and animal waste with a treatment capacity exceeding 10 tonnes per day, as well as the processing of animal by-products and/or edible co-products including rendering, fat melting, feather processing, fishmeal and fish oil production, blood processing, and gelatine manufacturing.
The new standards will also impact the better implementation of circular economy principles, including energy efficiency, water consumption, and resource efficiency, promoting the use of less harmful substances in cleaning and disinfection, as well as a more environmentally sound approach to refrigerant usage, aligning with efforts to combat global warming and ozone depletion.
The European Commission’s decision concerning this industrial sector marks the 21st set of BAT conclusions and was published in December of last year. These conclusions are the result of coordinated efforts among stakeholders, including industry and civil society representatives, aimed at reaching agreement on the best available techniques for the subject industrial sectors.
BAT Conclusions for Slaughterhouses (SA BATC) are available in 24 European languages, and the new Best Available Techniques (BAT) Reference Document (BREF) for Slaughterhouses has been published on the official website of the Joint Research Centre of the EU in Seville (EIPPCB).