Easier environmental rules for companies and the agricultural sector

Enterprise Committee II has now completed its work and sent a series of recommendations to the Danish Minister for the Environment, Ida Auken.The recommendations aim to simplify the rules for companies and the agricultural sector, without compromising environmental protection.

Recommendations from Enterprise Committee II will streamline the environmental permitting and inspection procedures. The new proposals for more straightforward environmental requirements will affect more than 50,000 commercial, industrial and agricultural operations.Environmental permitting rules are of interest to approximately 6,250 companies, whilst over 50,000 companies and farms are subject to regular environmental inspections.

In future, the operations that pose the greatest environmental risk will be inspected more frequently, whilst those that pose a low environmental risk will receive fewer inspection visits. The Committee suggests risk assessments of companies as a means of determining the specific requirements for environmental inspections.Based on the recommendations of the Committee, a new Statutory Order on inspections of enterprises and farms will be introduced as well as a revised inspection model and a new risk assessment tool.

The Committee recommends a reinforcement of BAT (best available techniques) in the field of environmental accreditation to benefit the environment and to boost Danish companies’ growth and competitiveness. Danish companies provide new environmental technologies: they are good at applying the technical advances that are central to the Government’s Green Growth plans.The Danish Ministry of the Environment is keen to actively influence EU measures that make BAT compulsory.

“Enterprise Committee II was formed in order to simplify the rules governing environmental permits and inspections of companies.The Committee consists of representatives from public authorities, business and green organisations.”

Recommendations from Enterprise Committee II (in danish)

For further information, please contact: Karsten Biering Nielsen, Head of Division, Danish Environmental Protection Agency: / Tel. +45 72 54 41 28