Plans for a new Directive

The COMAH Regulations are based on a European Directive known as the Seveso Directive (96/82/EC).

A new Directive on the control of major accident hazards involving dangerous substances (known as Seveso III) was published on 24 July 2012 and will be written into domestic legislation which will come into force on 1 June 2015. The new directive will take account of changes to EU legislation on the classification, packaging and labelling of chemical substances and mixtures (CHIP).

It strengthens areas including public access to information and standards of inspection and will be implemented through new COMAH Regulations which will come into force on 1 June 2015. (There are also planning elements that will be implemented through new planning legislation which will come into force on the same date.)

The HSE webpages, which will be updated as transposition of the Directive develops, will include details of the main changes in the Seveso III Directive and how it will affect businesses and the emergency and planning authorities in the UK. These can be found at: www.hse.gov.uk/seveso/introduction.htm