Growers who use glasshouses could find their businesses under threat from EU rules lumping their businesses into the same pollution control bracket as power stations, the NFU warned yesterday.
The new proposed revisions to the Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control Directive (IPPC), called PPC in England and Wales, include:
• Lowering the thermal input threshold from 50 to 20 megawatts, which would bring a significant part of UK glasshouse production within the scope of the new directive
An NFU statement said the increase in administration and costs incurred by some seasonal producers if the IPPC threshold revisions get the go ahead could be the last straw for some smaller farms.
“We have been lobbying hard in Brussels to influence the discussions taking place in the EU Commission about the proposals and will continue our efforts to get them changed,” said a spokesperson.
The IPPC was introduced in August 2000 to minimise pollution from various industries. Businesses covered by the Directive are required to hold permits, for which there is a significant charge.
