Industrial Emissions Directive IED 2010/75/EU: Integrated Environmental Permit.
The IED Directive 2010/75/EU requires an integrated environmental permit (IEP) for large industrial installations listed in Annex I. IgeraIndustria answers every compliance question: which activities require a permit, how BAT Conclusions set emission limit values, BREF document obligations, permit review timelines, and how the 2024 IED recast changes obligations from 2026.
IED: BAT Conclusions, integrated permits and the 4-year adaptation clock
Every time the Commission publishes new BAT Conclusions, the clock starts: permits must be reviewed and updated within 4 years, and installations must demonstrate they meet the new BAT-AEL ranges or justify deviation. Environmental managers spend months navigating BREF documents, translating BAT-AEL ranges into permit conditions, and preparing compliance schedules.
52,000
IED installations across the EU. Annex I covers energy, metals, minerals, chemicals, waste management and intensive livestock farming above defined capacity thresholds.
IEP mandatory
Integrated Environmental Permit required before operating any Annex I installation. Permit must set BAT-based emission limit values and monitoring requirements.
4 years
maximum time to adapt permit conditions after new BAT Conclusions are published in the EU Official Journal. Competent authorities must update ELVs within this window.
Environmental and legal teams spend months interpreting BREF documents, determining which BAT-AEL ranges apply to their specific processes, and preparing permit variation applications. IgeraIndustria answers those questions in seconds, citing the exact IED article, Annex I threshold or BAT Conclusion reference, so teams can focus on implementation rather than regulatory interpretation.
Instant IED compliance query by sector and obligation
IgeraIndustria locates the exact IED requirement that applies to each question and responds with the applicable Annex I threshold, BAT Conclusion reference, and monitoring obligation.
Annex I scope and capacity thresholds
IED Annex I lists activities and their minimum capacity thresholds. IgeraIndustria identifies whether a specific installation falls within IED scope, applies the correct threshold for the activity type, and flags co-located activities that may trigger IED scope through the addition of capacities.
BAT Conclusions interpretation
BAT Conclusions set BAT-AEL ranges for specific pollutants and processes. IgeraIndustria identifies the relevant BREF and BAT Conclusion for each sector, maps the applicable BAT-AEL ranges, and clarifies the conditions under which competent authorities may set ELVs above the BAT-AEL range (Article 15(4) derogation).
Integrated permit content requirements
Article 14 defines the minimum permit conditions: ELVs based on BAT, monitoring requirements, periodic reporting to the competent authority, measures to avoid cross-media transfers, restoration requirements. IgeraIndustria maps each required permit element to the applicable IED article.
Permit review and update triggers
Permits must be reviewed after: new or updated BAT Conclusions publication (within 4 years), significant changes to the installation, major accident, and competent authority-initiated review. IgeraIndustria clarifies what constitutes a significant change under Article 20 and the notification and authorisation requirements.
Monitoring and reporting obligations
IED Article 16 requires monitoring of emissions to air, water and soil at least at the frequency specified in the permit. IgeraIndustria clarifies periodic monitoring requirements, the mandatory annual environmental report to the competent authority, and the E-PRTR reporting obligations for installations above reporting thresholds.
IED recast 2024 — new obligations
Directive 2024/1610/EU extends IED scope to large livestock farms from 2030, requires transformation plans for large operators (>100 MW or >1,000 employees), creates the Industrial Emissions Portal, and strengthens public participation. IgeraIndustria identifies how the recast changes obligations for existing IED installations.
Complete IED 2010/75/EU compliance support
From initial permit application to BAT Conclusion adaptation and inspection preparation, IgeraIndustria supports the environmental and legal team at every stage of IED compliance.
Initial permit application support
The integrated permit application must describe the installation, its emissions, planned measures to prevent or reduce emissions, and monitoring proposals. IgeraIndustria maps each required section to the applicable IED article and identifies the most common gaps that competent authorities request clarification on.
BAT-AEL compliance gap analysis
When new BAT Conclusions are published, operators must assess whether current emissions fall within BAT-AEL ranges. IgeraIndustria maps current emission data against the new BAT-AEL ranges, identifies non-conforming parameters, and outlines the permit variation application required within the 4-year window.
Article 15(4) derogation preparation
When technical or economic constraints make BAT-AEL compliance disproportionately costly, Article 15(4) allows ELVs above BAT-AEL upon competent authority approval. IgeraIndustria outlines the required technical and economic justification and the conditions the derogation request must meet.
Environmental performance monitoring
IED monitoring plans must cover all regulated parameters at permit-specified frequencies. IgeraIndustria identifies monitoring requirements by pollutant and media (air, water, soil), clarifies the distinction between continuous and periodic monitoring, and maps the data reporting obligations to the competent authority.
Baseline soil and groundwater report
Article 22 requires a baseline report on soil and groundwater contamination before a permit is granted for activities using hazardous substances. IgeraIndustria clarifies which activities trigger the baseline report obligation and what the report must contain to satisfy the competent authority.
IED inspection preparation
IED Article 23 requires competent authorities to carry out inspections at least every 1–3 years depending on risk. IgeraIndustria identifies the key elements inspectors verify (permit conditions compliance, monitoring records, operational logs), the most common non-conformities found, and the corrective action timeframes.
4 core pillars of IED 2010/75/EU compliance
These pillars define what operators of Annex I installations must implement to obtain and maintain their integrated environmental permit.
BAT — Best Available Techniques as the compliance benchmark
IED Article 3(10) defines BAT as techniques achieving the highest level of environmental protection that are technically and economically feasible. BAT Conclusions (mandatory part of BREFs) define what BAT means for each sector and set BAT-AEL emission level ranges. Permits must be based on BAT, and ELVs must not exceed BAT-AEL ranges unless a derogation under Article 15(4) applies.
Integrated permit — one permit covering all environmental media
Unlike sector-specific permits, the IED integrated permit covers all emissions to air, water and soil simultaneously. Article 14 requires the permit to set ELVs for all relevant pollutants, monitoring requirements, periodic reporting, conditions to minimise cross-media transfers, site restoration measures, and conditions on energy efficiency, noise, heat and vibration where relevant.
BREF process — Seville Process and BAT Conclusion adoption
BREF documents are produced through the Seville Process involving the Commission, Member States and industry. The mandatory BAT Conclusions are published as Commission Implementing Decisions. Currently active BREFs cover: Large Combustion Plants, Iron and Steel, Chemicals, Cement, Glass, Pulp and Paper, Waste Incineration, and more. Companies must track which BREF applies to each activity and when BAT Conclusions were last updated.
IED recast 2024 — Industrial Emissions Portal and transformation plans
Directive 2024/1610/EU creates the Industrial Emissions Portal — a public EU register of all IED installations, their permits, emission data and compliance records. Large operators (>100 MW thermal input or >1,000 employees) must prepare transformation plans by 2030 describing how they will become carbon-neutral and circular by 2050. Member States must transpose by 2026.
How IgeraIndustria works for IED 2010/75/EU
Five steps from loading your permit documentation to receiving an answer with the exact IED article, BAT Conclusion reference, and required monitoring conditions.
Index your IED permit documentation
Upload your integrated environmental permit, monitoring reports, BAT Conclusion compliance assessments, and emission data records. IgeraIndustria processes them together with the full IED 2010/75/EU text and applicable BREF documents in under 24 hours.
Connect the assistant to your environmental team
Embed it in your environmental management system, Teams, Slack or as a standalone tool for the environmental and legal team. One line of code. Compatible with any document management system.
Ask in plain language
«Which BAT-AEL ranges apply to our cement kiln under the Cement BREF?», «What must we include in our baseline soil report?», «How long do we have to adapt our permit after new BAT Conclusions are published?»
IgeraIndustria searches across 2 knowledge layers
First in your internal permit and monitoring documentation, then in the indexed IED 2010/75/EU directive, applicable BAT Conclusions, and competent authority guidance on permit conditions.
Answer with IED article, BAT Conclusion and monitoring requirement
The response cites the applicable IED article or Annex, states the relevant BAT-AEL range from the BAT Conclusion, and flags the most common permit conditions that competent authority inspectors verify during IED inspections.
IgeraIndustria in action — IED BAT Conclusion adaptation query
BAT-AEL compliance obligation after new Large Combustion Plants BAT Conclusions resolved in under 3 seconds with the applicable ELV adaptation timeline and derogation pathway.
Environmental Compliance Manager
The new LCP BAT Conclusions were published in 2021. Our NOx emissions are at 180 mg/Nm³ but the new BAT-AEL for our boiler type is 85–150 mg/Nm³. Do we need to apply for an Article 15(4) derogation and when?
IgeraIndustria
IED Art. 15(4) — LCP BAT Conclusions NOx compliance
Timeline:
- • LCP BAT Conclusions published: August 2021. Permit adaptation deadline: August 2025
- • At 180 mg/Nm³ vs BAT-AEL upper range 150 mg/Nm³: you exceed BAT-AEL — derogation or compliance measures required before the deadline
Article 15(4) derogation path:
- • Apply to competent authority demonstrating disproportionate cost relative to environmental benefit
- • Derogation ELV cannot exceed previous permit ELV and must be reviewed after 4 years
- • Document technical constraints preventing BAT-AEL compliance (boiler age, retrofit costs, remaining operating life)
⚠️ Start derogation application immediately — competent authority processing times can exceed 6 months
✓ IED 2010/75/EU Art. 15(4) + LCP BAT Conclusions (2021/2326/EU) · Confidence: 98.3%
650
employees, cement plant
-55%
BREF interpretation time
4
months saved on permit variation
Every time new BAT Conclusions are published our environmental team spent weeks translating the BREF into permit conditions and preparing the variation application. IgeraIndustria gave us the applicable BAT-AEL ranges, the Article 15(4) derogation pathway for two parameters where we needed extra time, and the exact permit variation content required by our competent authority. We saved 4 months on the process and submitted a complete application first time.
*Representative testimonial based on results from real customers
Frequently asked questions — IED Directive 2010/75/EU
Which installations are subject to IED 2010/75/EU?
IED covers installations listed in Annex I: energy industries (combustion plants >50 MW, mineral oil and gas refineries, coke ovens, coal gasification), production and processing of metals (iron and steel production, non-ferrous metals smelting), mineral industry (production of cement clinker, asbestos, glass, ceramic products), chemical industry (with specific production thresholds), waste management (disposal or recovery of hazardous waste, incineration, landfills), and intensive livestock farming (poultry >40,000 places, pigs >2,000 production pigs). In Spain, transposition is through Law 16/2002 and Royal Decree-Law 1/2016.
What are BAT Conclusions and how do they set emission limit values?
BAT Conclusions are the mandatory part of BAT Reference Documents (BREFs) published as Commission Implementing Decisions in the EU Official Journal. They describe the best available techniques and the BAT-Associated Emission Levels (BAT-AEL) — the ranges of emission levels achievable using BAT under normal operating conditions. Competent authorities must use BAT Conclusions to set emission limit values (ELVs) in permits. ELVs must not exceed the BAT-AEL ranges. When new BAT Conclusions are published, the permit must be reviewed and conditions updated within 4 years.
What is the IED recast (Industrial Emissions Portal) and when does it apply?
The IED recast (Directive 2024/1610/EU, published June 2024) strengthens the original IED and creates the Industrial Emissions Portal — an EU-wide public register of industrial installations, their permits and actual emissions data. Key new elements: extended scope to large livestock farms (poultry and pigs from 2030), new provisions on emerging pollutants, strengthened public participation in permit procedures, mandatory transformation plans for large operators (>100 MW or >1,000 employees) describing how they will decarbonise by 2050, and enhanced inspection requirements. Member States must transpose by 2026.
IgeraIndustria IED Directive Plans
No lock-in. Cancel whenever you want.
Starter
For environmental teams that need to interpret BAT Conclusions and understand IED permit obligations without months of BREF document research.
- IED 2010/75/EU pre-indexed
- BAT Conclusion lookup by sector
- Annex I scope determination
- 1,000 queries/month
- Widget for the environmental team
- Email support
Professional
For IED installations that need ongoing support for permit variations, BAT-AEL compliance assessments and inspection preparation.
- IED + internal permit docs indexed
- BAT-AEL compliance gap analysis
- Art. 15(4) derogation preparation
- 5,000 queries/month
- BREF update alerts
- Priority support
Enterprise
For industrial groups with multiple IED installations requiring integrated environmental permit management and IED recast preparation.
- Multi-site IED permit management
- Transformation plan preparation (2024 recast)
- E-PRTR reporting support
- Unlimited queries
- 99.9% uptime SLA
- Dedicated customer success
Comply with IED 2010/75/EU. Adapt your permit before the BAT deadline.
- Free 14-day trial — no credit card required
- Full IED 2010/75/EU text and BAT Conclusions pre-indexed from day 1
- Upload your integrated permit, monitoring reports and BREF assessments
- BAT-AEL gap analysis tool and Art. 15(4) derogation guidance