competent authority — the national authority or authorities, or any other competent body or bodies, designated by the Member States (2)

diffuse sources — the many smaller or scattered sources from which pollutants may be released to land, air or water, whose combined impact on those media may be significant and for which it is impractical to collect reports from each individual source (12)

disposal — any of the operations provided for in Annex IIA to Directive 75/442/EEC (16)

facility — one or more installations on the same site that are operated by the same natural or legal person (4)

hazardous waste — any substance or object as defined in Article 1(4) of Directive 91/689/EEC (14)

installation — a stationary technical unit where one or more activities listed in Annex I are carried out, and any other directly associated activities which have a technical connection with the activities carried out on that site and which could have an effect on emissions and pollution (3)

off-site transfer — the movement beyond the boundaries of a facility of waste destined for recovery or disposal and of pollutants in waste water destined for waste-water treatment (11)

operator — any natural or legal person who operates or controls the facility or, where this is provided for in national legislation, to whom decisive economic power over the technical functioning of the facility has been delegated (6)

pollutant — a substance or a group of substances that may be harmful to the environment or to human health on account of its properties and of its introduction into the environment (9)

recovery — any of the operations provided for in Annex IIB to Directive 75/442/EEC (17)

release — any introduction of pollutants into the environment as a result of any human activity, whether deliberate or accidental, routine or non-routine, including spilling, emitting, discharging, injecting, disposing or dumping, or through sewer systems without final waste-water treatment (10)

reporting year — the calendar year for which data on releases of pollutants and off-site transfers must be gathered (7)

site — the geographical location of the facility (5)

substance — any chemical element and its compounds, with the exception of radioactive substances (8)

the public — one or more natural or legal persons, and, in accordance with national legislation or practice, their associations, organisations or groups (1)

waste — any substance or object as defined in Article 1(a) of Council Directive 75/442/EEC of 15 July 1975 on waste OJ L 194, 25.7.1975, p. 39. Directive as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 1882/2003. (13)

waste water — urban, domestic and industrial waste water, as defined in Article 2(1), (2) and (3) of Council Directive 91/271/EEC of 21 May 1991 concerning urban waste water treatment OJ L 135, 30.5.1991, p. 40. Directive as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 1882/2003. , and any other used water which is subject, because of the substances or objects it contains, to regulation by Community law (15)