UK BAT
Best Available Techniques (BAT) aim to prevent or reduce emissions and impacts on the environment.
Techniques include:
- the technology used
- how an installation is designed, built, maintained, operated and decommissioned
Industrial installations with specific types of activity must use BAT to prevent and reduce emissions to air, water and land.
The UK BAT system will is the mechanism by which the where techniques are established through an evidence led, collaborative approach.
Background
BAT was adopted and applied across the European Union (EU) by the European Commission as BAT Conclusions (BATC) under the Industrial Emissions Directive (IED) (Directive 2010/75/EU).
Existing EU BATC continue to have effect in the UK through the EU Withdrawal Act 2018. They are available in best available technique reference documents or BREFS.
The UK no longer needs to meet the requirements of any new EU BATC - except for Northern Ireland (NI) where Article 4 of the NI Protocol sets out the sectors remaining under EU IED.
UK BAT conclusions (BATC)
The future development of UK Best Available Techniques Conclusions (BATC) is led by:
- UK Government
- Scottish Government
- Welsh Government
- Northern Ireland Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA)
The government response about the development of UK BAT to improve industrial emissions sets out the broad principles of the UK BAT regime.
BATC are determined through an evidence-based approach with technical working groups formed of industry experts, regulators, and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
BATC will be published as Statutory Instruments and used as the basis for permit conditions for industry.
The UK BAT system will take between 1 to 3 years to create a set of BATC depending on the complexity of the industrial sector. The order of BATC to be reviewed will be announced in advance to give interested parties an opportunity to express their views.
Technical working groups
UK BATC are established by technical working groups (TWG) for the relevant industrial sectors.
These groups will include expert members from:
- industry
- trade associations
- academia
- non-governmental organisations (NGOs)
- UK regulators
The draft UK BAT Conclusions (BATC) will be published for comment and public consultation.
When BATC are agreed they will be published as a Statutory Instrument and used as a basis for Environmental Permit conditions.
Current status of UK BATC
The table shows the status of UK BATC.
| Name | Code | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Ceramic Manufacturing Industry | CER | Initiated |
| Ferrous Metals Processing Industry (Forming) | FMPF | Formal draft |
| Ferrous Metals Processing Industry (Galvanising) | FMPG | Formal draft |
| Large Volume Inorganic Chemicals | LVIC | Initiated |
| Slaughterhouses and Animals By-products Industries | SA | Initiated |
| Smitheries and Foundries Industry | SF | Initiated |
| Surface Treatment of Metals and Plastics | STM | Initiated |
| Textiles Industry | TXT | Formal draft |
| Common Waste Gas Management and Treatment Systems in the Chemical Sector | WCG | Formal draft |
Public engagement
UK BAT are looking for views from the public on the scope of the BATC for ceramics, slaughterhouses and animal by-products and smitheries and foundries.
Ceramics opened 15 May 2024 closes 10 July 2024.
Smitheries and foundries opened 15 May 2024 closes 10 July 2024.
Slaughterhouses and animal by-products opened 15 May 2024 closes 10 July 2024.
UK BAT Open Forum
You can join us virtually at our UK BAT Open Forum on 5 June 2024.
These meetings are open to all and will provide an opportunity to meet the UK BAT Team and discover more about the UK BAT process.
There will be time at the end for general questions about UK BAT. To request an invite to join the meeting, email ukbat@defra.gov.uk.