The European Parliament will vote tomorrow on the report for the revision of the EU´s Seveso Directive on controlling major industrial accidents involving dangerous substances and mixtures of chemicals which applies to around 10 000 establishments in the European Union.

The main goal of the revision is to maintain a high level of protection and to implement the lessons learnt from recent industrial accidents in the EU. 

The vote concerns an agreement with the Council which puts in place the new rules to strengthen the protection against risks, to ensure effective prevention and inspection policy, to limited of the consequences to human health and to the environment, and to improve citizen´s access to key information about potentially dangerous sites. 

The most important information about these risks should be accessible to the general public via online systems. The information exchange between member states must also be improved in order to take appropriate and swift preventive action. 

MEP Vladko Todorov Panayotov (MRF, Bulgaria), ALDE spokesperson on this dossier, said:

"The report preserved most of ALDE's priorities even though I personally regret we couldn't go further in terms of information to the public and inspections. I believe it would have sent a stronger signal not only to the industry to take the highest measures to prevent chemical accidents but also to European citizens who live and work in Seveso areas". 

The key elements of the report: 

• Scope (new general EU system for classification, labelling and packaging of chemicals),
• Direct access to information (ensure transparency, the rights of citizens to be informed and public participation in decision-making),
• Inspections (introducing stricter standards, more frequency and transparency of inspections),
• Security measures (updating of safety management system and prevention rules for dangerous substance sites).

Notes: As from 1 June 2015, stricter rules will apply to companies classified "SEVESO" in order to prevent and control accidents involving dangerous chemical products.