§2.1.9 Seveso III Directive

The Seveso III Directive aims to prevent major accidents involving dangerous substances and a limitation of their consequences for the environment and human health. It also applies to waste. Operators handling dangerous substances present in waste above certain thresholds must classify waste on the basis of its properties as a mixture. Relevant sources of information may include classification according to EU waste legislation. Box 10: The Seveso III Directive Directive 2012/18/EU on the control of major-accident hazards involving dangerous substances (‘Seveso III Directive’) (21) has as main objective the prevention of major accidents which involve dangerous substances, and the limitation of their consequences for human health and the environment, with the goal of ensuring a high level of protection throughout the Union in a consistent and effective manner. Operators handling dangerous substances above certain thresholds are obliged to take all necessary measures to prevent major accidents and to limit their consequences. The requirements include providing information to the public likely to be affected by an accident, providing safety reports, establishing a safety management system and an internal emergency plans. Member States must, amongst others, ensure that emergency plans are in place for the surrounding areas and that mitigation actions are planned. The Seveso III Directive also applies to waste but waste landfill sites including underground waste storage are excluded from the scope of the Seveso III Directive. Note 5 to Annex I of the Seveso III Directive makes reference to CLP Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 and mentions waste explicitly: ‘In the case of dangerous substances which are not covered by Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008, including waste, but which nevertheless are present, or are likely to be present, in an establishment and which possess or are likely to possess, under the conditions found at the establishment, equivalent properties in terms of major-accident potential, these shall be provisionally assigned to the most analogous category or named dangerous substance falling within the scope of this Directive.’

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Source: EUR-Lex (Cellar) · retrieved 2026-09-07