Scope of the PRTR

The PRTR Regulation requires that each PRTR facility reports data on the quantities of PRTR  pollutants they released to air, water and waste water, as well as the quantities of waste transferred off their facilities, in the previous calendar year. 

A facility must report data under the European Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (E-PRTR)  if it fulfils the following criteria: 

  • The facility engages in one of the nine PRTR Activity Sectors which  
    • involve environmentally hazardous activities and  
    • is of at least a certain size, that is, it has a production capacity exceeding at least one of the Capacity Thresholds as defined in Annex I of the E-PRTR Regulation; 
  • the facility falls under at least one of the 65 E-PRTR economic activities. The activities are also reported using a standard classification of economic activities (NACE rev. 2); 
  • the facility releases pollutants or transfers waste off-site which exceed specific thresholds set out in  Article 5  of the E-PRTR Regulation;  
  • These thresholds for releases of pollutants are specified for each receiving medium - air, water and land - in  Annex II  of the E-PRTR Regulation. 

If a qualifying facility has emissions or waste transfers above the relevant thresholds, information is provided to the European Commission concerning the amount of pollutant it releases to air, water and waste water as well as its off-site transfers of waste. This information is then displayed on the European Pollutant Release and Transfer Register. 

The E-PRTR covers the 27 EU Member States as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Serbia and Switzerland. The register contains annual data reported by some 30,000 industrial facilities covering 65 economic activities within the following 9 PRTR Annex I activity sectors: 

  • Energy 
  • Production and processing of metals 
  • Mineral industry (includes quarries) 
  • Chemical industry 
  • Waste and waste water management (includes UWWTP, landfills and waste recovery and transfer stations) 
  • Paper and wood production and processing 
  • Intensive livestock production and aquaculture 
  • Animal and vegetable products from the food and beverage sector, and 
  • Other activities