The common message is that ESA should present themselves as experts in diffuse fugitive emission reduction, and be able to provide real documented examples of fugitive emissions reductions from processes and industrial plants worldwide.

Fugitive Emissions Reduction Document

The progress on the Fugitive Emissions Reduction Document is steady but slow. We now have the commitment of Elastomeric Seals and Expansion Joints to write a section each. There has been plenty of discussion on leak measuring protocols where Europe and USA use two distinctly different routes. As IED includes maximum allowable leakage rates, an agreed method of recording leakage becomes very important.

Brexit negotiations

Brexit negotiations continue at a slow pace and we are working with BPMA and EEF to keep up to date with progress. The UK final position is currently under painful progress through UK Houses of Parliament, with ministerial resignations and much political positioning going on.

We are keeping close watch on progress of the revisions on PED and ATEX/IECE, which are due sometime soon.

EGA (Environmental Goods Act)

We keep an eye on any potential progress on this since USA decided to pull out of this initiative, which has been dormant since the Paris agreement at the end of 2016.

David Mitchell, Standards and Legislation Director

Read also other parts of the Standards and Legislation report: