The document outlines the history and development of the EU network for implementing and enforcing environmental law, specifically focusing on the IED inspections and the integrated risk assessment method (IRAM) for planning these inspections. It details the objectives of evaluating existing tools, creating a user-friendly risk assessment tool, and the framework for determining inspection frequency based on environmental impact and operator performance. It concludes by mentioning the widespread adoption of the IRAM tool across multiple countries for improving environmental inspection practices.

1. Doing The Right Things
easyTools
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IED Inspections
IED/IRAM Inspection Programme
IMPEL Projects on
Inspection Planning
Horst Büther, Germany OECD, 5 December 2022
European Union Network for
the Implementation and Enforcement
of Environmental Law

2. European Union Network for
the Implementation and Enforcement
of Environmental Law
History
1997: IMPEL – Minimum Criteria for Inspections
2001: EU – Recommendation on Minimum
Criteria for Environmental Inspections
2007: IMPEL – Step by Step Guidance Book for the
Planning of Environmental Inspections
2011: IMPEL – easyTools Risk Assessment
Guidance Book
2011: EU - Industrial Emissions Directive
2012: IMPEL – Guidance for IED Inspections
2013: IED/IRAM Inspection Programme
Since 2015: Common international Inspections
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3. 1. Planning
4. Performance
monitoring
1b. Setting priorities
1c. Defining objectives
and strategies
1d. Planning and review
1a. Describing the
context
3. Execution and
Reporting
2. Execution Framework
ENVIRONMENTAL INSPECTION CYCLE
3
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4. 4
Article 23: Environmental inspections
4. Based on the inspection plans, the
competent authority shall regularly draw up
programmes for routine environmental
inspections, including the frequency of site
visits for different types of installations
- The period between two site visits shall be
based on a systematic appraisal of the
environmental risks of the installations
concerned and shall not exceed 1 year for
installations posing the highest risks and 3
years for installations posing the lowest
risks.
IED
Inspections

5. European Union Network for
the Implementation and Enforcement
of Environmental Law
easyTools Project 2010/11
Risk Assessment in Inspection Planning
Development of a web-based risk
assessment tool for inspections like
IED, Seveso, waste, wastewater, nature
conservation, agriculture and so on
easyTools
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6. European Union Network for
the Implementation and Enforcement
of Environmental Law
Objectives
 Evaluation of existing inspection tools and
risk criteria
 Development of a risk assessment tool for
environmental inspections that could easily
be used by every IMPEL member
 Integration into the inspection cycle of the
Step-by-step guidance book (DTRT)
 Availability from the IMPEL website as an
advanced interactive IT tool
easyTools
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7. Risk Assessment
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Impact
Probability

8. RA tools identified
 Three general types of methods for RA
were identified:
 Linear Mean Value: mean values or sums of
all (weighted) criteria scores are assigned to
risk categories and inspection frequencies
(Spain, Germany)
 Mean Value of Risk: mean values of impact
criteria multiplied by probability criteria are
assigned to risk categories (OPRA – EN, NL,
PO, PT)
 Maximum Value: inspection task with
highest frequency determine inspection
frequency (France)
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9. Linear Mean Values -
examples
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
IC1 IC2 IC3 IC4 IC5 IC6
Inspection object 1: Risk = 3,8
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
IC1 IC2 IC3 IC4 IC5 IC6
Inspection object 2: Risk = 1,66
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
IC1 IC2 IC3 IC4 IC5 IC6
Inspection object 3: Risk = 3
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
IC1 IC2 IC3 IC4 IC5 IC6
Inspection object 4: Risk = 3
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10. Result of the questionnaire
Based on the results presented above
within easyTools project the
“Integrated Risk Assessment Method”,
IRAM,
was developed by
 combining the advantages of the three
methods, while
 limiting the disadvantages
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11. Risk Criteria
Potential impacts
 Kind and type of installation
 Risk of accidents
 Handling and storage of waste
Actual impacts
 Levels and types of emissions: into air and water
 Sensitivity of the local environment
 Incidents and accidents
Operator performance
 Compliance with permit conditions
 Attitude of the operator
 Environmental management system (EMAS)
easyTools
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Regional District
Admin. Cologne
Environmental permit
Rn: 53.8851-16- 03513
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12. Integrated Risk Assessment Method
Risk steered inspection frequency
The (potential) impact of the activity on
environment or human health is:
 negligible ► no routine inspection
 minor ► every 5 years
 moderate ► every 4 years
 relevant ► every 3 years
 important ► every 2 years
 serious ► every year
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13. European Union Network for
the Implementation and Enforcement
of Environmental Law
Potential Impacts
no
5
4
3
2
1
0
1
2
3
4
5
Building
Permit
Environ.
Directive
Environ.
Permit
IED IED +
Directive
IED + 2
Dirctives
Inspection
frequency
(years)
Score
Type and Kind of Installation
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14. Impact on the Environment
0
1
2
3
4
5
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Score

15. European Union Network for
the Implementation and Enforcement
of Environmental Law
Potential Impacts
no
5
4
3
2
1
0
1
2
3
4
5
No DW DW < 2t/y DW > 2t/y DW >
350t/y
DW >
3,500t/y
DW >
20,000t/y
Inspection
frequency
(years)
Score
Dangerous Waste
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16. Integrated Risk Assessment Method
0
1
2
3
4
5
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Score

17. Risk of the Installation
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Impact
Operator Performance

18. European Union Network for
the Implementation and Enforcement
of Environmental Law
Influence of Operator Performance
 Operator performance criteria:
► Compliance
► Attitude of the operator
► Environmental management system
 Scoring of operator performance criteria:
► good: -1
► moderate: 0
► bad: +1
 The average (integer) of the operator performance
scoring is added to each impact criteria score
risk score
easyTools
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Integrated Risk Assessment Method
►
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19. Scored Risk Criteria
0
1
2
3
4
5
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Score

20. Good Operator Performance
0
1
2
3
4
5
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Score

21. Scored Risk Criteria
0
1
2
3
4
5
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Score

22. Bad Operator Performance
0
1
2
3
4
5
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Score

23. European Union Network for
the Implementation and Enforcement
of Environmental Law
European Union Network for
the Implementation and Enforcement
of Environmental Law
IRAM principles
I. The inspection frequency is determined by
the highest impact score
II. The inspection frequency is reduced by one
step, if the set number of highest scores is
not met (the Rule)
III. The inspection frequency can be changed by
one step up or down based on operator
performance
IV. The more criteria are scored high, the more
inspection effort is needed
easyTools
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Integrated Risk Assessment Method
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24. European Union Network for
the Implementation and Enforcement
of Environmental Law
European Union Network for
the Implementation and Enforcement
of Environmental Law
IRAM Principles II and IV:
Inspection Frequency and Effort
5
4
3
2
1
0
High Inspection Effort
IC 1 IC 2 IC 3 IC 4 IC 5 IC 6
5
4
3
2
1
0
Low Inspection Effort
IC 1 IC 2 IC 3 IC 4 IC 5 IC 6
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25. Weight
 Not all criteria have the same importance
 Therefore: Weighting
 Weighting is often Political
 Weighting factors (*) and
 Weighting terms (+)
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easyTools
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26. European Union Network for
the Implementation and Enforcement
of Environmental Law
Web Tool and Database
 The IRAM rules were implemented into a web-based
programme for risk assessment in inspection planning
 The programme distinguishes between:
Coordinator ---► decides on inspection task, criteria,
and steering terms and factors
Inspector ------► does the risk assessment
 Assessment data storage on the internet
 The assessment data can also be downloaded as XML-
or CSV-files and imported into national data bases
(Access and Excel)
 Address of the programme:
https://iram-impel.nrw.de/lip/authenticate.do
easyTools
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27. European Union Network for
the Implementation and Enforcement
of Environmental Law
IRAM on the Internet easyTools
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28. European Union Network for
the Implementation and Enforcement
of Environmental Law
New Language Versions
Lucom Interaction Platform
English
Czech
Deutsch
Français
Hrvatski
Portuguese
Slovenian
easyTools
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Welcome, Koordinator BR Köln!
Date of the last logon: April 1, 2013 at 6:14 PM
You are on the IMPEL form server that provides you with an application for risk assessment in inspection planning.
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29. European Union Network for
the Implementation and Enforcement
of Environmental Law
easyTools
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Lucom Interaction Platform
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30. European Union Network for
the Implementation and Enforcement
of Environmental Law
easyTools
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Lucom Interaction Platform
30

31. European Union Network for
the Implementation and Enforcement
of Environmental Law
easyTools
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Lucom Interaction Platform
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32. Assessment Results
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33. IRAM Inspection Program
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34. Guidance book
 Introduction to Risk Assessment
 Integrated Risk Assessment
Method (IRAM)
 Manual of the online IRAM tool
 Examples of impact and
probability criteria
 Available on the Web-application
Final version February 2012
easyTools
RISK ASSESSMENT
GUIDANCE BOOK
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easyTools
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35. European Union Network for
the Implementation and Enforcement
of Environmental Law
Cologne Workshop Conclusions
 The methodology is accepted
 The comparison with other systems confirms the value
of IRAM
 The IRAM tool is an added value and organisations can
start implementation
 Procedural
arrangements
in the member
countries need
to be made
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36. European Union Network for
the Implementation and Enforcement
of Environmental Law
Utilisation of IRAM
IRAM is (considered to be) used by Inspection
Authorities of
 Albanina, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and
Herzegovina, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech
Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland,
France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Iceland,
Italy, Kosovo, Luxembourg, Macedonia, The
Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal,
Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain
and Turkey.
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37. 37
37
IMPEL Project IED Inspections
Horst Büther

38. 38
IED Inspections Guidance book

39. 39
Bremen Inspection Team

40. Gdansk Inspection Team
2018-01 mutual joint visit 40

41. 2018-01 mutual joint visit 41
Refinery Wastewater Inspection

42. IRAM II: Inspection Time
• For an efficient use of human resources
following questions should be answered:
o How much time is needed?
o What is the content and the focus of
certain site visit?
• With risk assessment we can not calculate time
needed for a site visit
• For that we have to do additional procedure 
o Time estimation

43. GENERAL TIME CRITERIA
1. Complexity and size of installation
2. Number of emission sources to air
3. Diffuse emissions to air
4. Number of emission sources to water
5. Type of wastewater treatment (complexity)
6. Protection against contamination of soil and water
7. Number of waste storages and waste processing units
8. On-site energy production
9. Water abstraction / use of process water
Next: Time criteria for different industrial activities

44. Horst Büther 44

45. horst.buether@impel.eu
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