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2022: EU Industrial Emissions Directive

Policy Overview

The European Commission proposed a revision to its Industrial Emissions Directive (IED) in April 2022. The IED is a policy aimed at regulating pollutant emissions from industrial installations in the EU, by using a ‘Best Available Techniques’ permitting process to prevent and control pollution. The policy covers a wide range of sectors including energy, waste, heavy industrials, metals, mining, construction materials, food, and drink, as well as the rearing of pigs and poultry. The new proposal aims to tackle methane emissions by i) extending the coverage of the policy to include large-scale cattle farming and additional pig and poultry farms and, ii) lowering the threshold above which livestock farms are included in the scope of the directive. The Commission expects these changes to expand the coverage of methane livestock emissions covered under the policy from 3% to 43% and to yield reductions in methane emissions of 265kt per year.

Policy Outcome

A provisional agreement on the EU’s Industrial Emissions Directive saw weakened thresholds of livestock emissions adopted in line with negative engagement from the agricultural sector. The Commission will have the opportunity to reassess cattle farming emissions in 2026 and review the implementation of the directive by 2028. The agreement is likely to be finalized in early 2024, after which the legislation can enter into force.

Policy Status

EU policymakers reached a provisional agreement on the EU Industrial Emissions Directive in November 2023, and it is set to be adopted in Q1 2024.

  • European Parliament: Environment (ENVI) Committee
  • Rapporteur: Radan Kanev (European People's Party)
  • European Council: Environment

Evidence Profile

Key

◼ opposing ◼ not supporting ◼ mixed/unclear
◼ supporting ◼ strongly supporting

Policy Engagement Overview

The aggregated evidence of corporate and industry lobbying on the Industrial Emissions Directive revision proposal shows negative engagement from the agricultural sector, with positions advocating against the inclusion of livestock under the regulation.

Major agricultural industry associations including Copa-Cogeca and the European Diary Association have opposed measures in the European Industrial Emissions Directive (IED) to tackle methane emissions from livestock.

Copa-Cogeca has consistently opposed measures to tackle methane emissions from the agriculture sector in the IED, notably advocating for weaker thresholds for livestock units that would see fewer farms included in the regulation.

For example, the association stated it was “not desirable” to extend the scope of the IED to cattle and smaller farms in its June 2022 consultation response. Instead, the group suggested that voluntary measures should be focused on, arguing that the agricultural sector’s natural processes hinder its ability to decarbonize and reduce methane emissions. InfluenceMap’s Narrative Tracker analyzes the use of narratives on methane regulation here.

The European Dairy Association opposed the inclusion of cattle rearing to the Industrial Emissions Directive, stating in June 2022 feedback that the inclusion would create an administrative burden and hamper growth on farm investment.

Impacts on Policy Ambition

EU Commission Proposal

The European Commission’s revised proposal for the Industrial Emissions Directive introduced the following measures on methane:

  • Inclusion of livestock sector: The EU Commission proposed to include large-scale cattle farming, and additional pig and poultry farms in the regulation. More specifically, all farms with over 150 livestock units (LSU) would be included in the directive.

EU Council Proposal

The EU Council’s Proposal for the revision of the Industrial Emissions Directive significantly weakened the ambition of the EU Commission’s proposal with relation to methane.

  • Weaker thresholds for livestock farms: The EU Council’s proposal reduced the number of farms included in the scope of the regulation, specifically only including farms with livestock units (LSU) numbers larger than 350 LSU for cattle and pigs, 280 LSU for poultry and 350 LSU for mixed farms. The proposal also stated that it would progressively apply the regulation starting with the largest farms.

EU Parliament Proposal

The EU Parliament's proposal for the revision of the Industrial Emissions Directive significantly reduced the ambition of the EU Commission's proposal with relation to methane. - Cattle farms: The EU Parliament’s proposal excluded cattle farms from the scope of the revised IED.

  • Maintaining thresholds: The Parliament proposed maintaining current rules relating to the size of farms covered by the IED in the policy revision.

Policy Status

EU policymakers reached a provisional agreement on the EU Industrial Emissions Directive in November 2023, and it is set to be adopted in Q1 2024.

  • European Parliament: Environment (ENVI) Committee
  • Rapporteur: Radan Kanev (European People's Party)
  • European Council: Environment

Evidence Profile

Key

◼ opposing ◼ not supporting ◼ mixed/unclear
◼ supporting ◼ strongly supporting

Live Lobbying Alerts

Copa Cogeca supports the exclusion of cattle and mixed farms from the EU Industrial Emissions Directive

21/07/2023

In a July 11th statement on its corporate website, Copa Cogeca strongly supported the EU Parliament vote for the exclusion of cattle and mixed farms from the EU Industrial Emissions Directive (IED). Copa Cogeca has consistently advocated to weaken the EU Commission's original ambition for the IED, which sought to include all farms with over 150 livestock units in the directive.