Article 3

1. The limit values, the time limits by which they must be complied with and the monitoring procedure for discharges are laid down in Annex I. 2. The limit values shall normally apply at the point where waste waters containing mercury leave the industrial plant. When waste waters containing mercury are treated outside the industrial plant at a treatment plant intended for the removal of mercury, the Member State may permit the limit values to be applied at the point where the waste waters leave the treatment plant. 3. The authorizations referred to in Article 3 of Directive 76/464/EEC must contain provisions at least as stringent as those in Annex I to this Directive, except where a Member State is complying with Article 6 (3) of Directive 76/464/EEC on the basis of Annex II to this Directive and Annex IV to Directive 82/176/EEC. Authorizations shall be reviewed at least every four years. 4. Without prejudice to their obligations arising from paragraph 1, 2 and 3 and to the provisions of Directive 76/464/EEC, Member States may grant authorizations for new plants only if those plants apply the standards corresponding to the best technical means available when that is necessary for the elimination of pollution in accordance with Article 2 of the said Directive or for the prevention of distortion of competition. Whatever method it adopts, the Member State shall, where for technical reasons the intended measures do not correspond to the best technical means available, provide the Commission, before any authorization, with evidence in support of these reasons. The Commission shall forward this evidence to the other Member States immediately and shall send all Member States a report as soon as possible giving its opinion on the derogation referred to in the second subparagraph. If necessary, it shall at the same time submit appropriate proposals to the Council. 5. The reference method of analysis to be used in determining the presence of mercury is given in Annex III (1) to Directive 82/176/EEC. Other methods may be used provided that the limits of detection, precision and accuracy of such methods are at least as good as those laid down in Annex III (1) to Directive 82/176/EEC. The accuracy required in the measurement of effluent flow is given in Annex III (2) to that Directive.

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Source: EUR-Lex (Cellar) · retrieved 2026-11-05 · Text as adopted (Official Journal); later amendments are not incorporated in this text.