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Glossary termPublished inIED 2.0

Pollution

Also known as verontreiniging

What does "Pollution" mean under the IED?

The direct or indirect introduction, as a result of human activity, of substances, vibrations, heat, noise or odours into air, water or land, which can be harmful to human health or the quality of the environment, result in damage to material property, or impair or interfere with amenities and other legitimate uses of the environment

Defined in / by

Last updated: 14 October 2026.

How pollution works in the Directive

Pollution is the harm the Directive is built to prevent. Article 11 requires installations to be operated so that no significant pollution is caused. Article 22 ties the end of an installation's life to the same idea: where activities have polluted soil or groundwater compared with the state recorded in the baseline report, the operator takes the necessary measures to address that pollution so as to return the site to that state (Article 22(3)).

Directive (EU) 2024/1785 changed the definition in two ways. Odours joined substances, vibrations, heat and noise, and "which may be harmful" became "which can be harmful". The definition of emission was not changed in the same way: it still lists substances, vibrations, heat or noise, without odours.

The definition is wider than a release from a chimney. It covers direct and indirect introduction, as long as it results from human activity, and it counts four kinds of consequence: harm to human health, harm to the quality of the environment, damage to material property, and interference with amenities and other legitimate uses of the environment.

Questions and answers

Does odour count as pollution under the IED?

Yes. Since Directive (EU) 2024/1785 replaced Article 3, point (2), the definition names odours alongside substances, vibrations, heat and noise.

Is pollution the same as an emission under the IED?

No. An emission is the release itself from sources in the installation. Pollution is the introduction into air, water or land, as a result of human activity, that can cause harm, damage or interference.

Regulations

  • Industrial Emissions Directive (IED 2.0)

    The revised Industrial Emissions Directive is Directive (EU) 2024/1785. Member States had to transpose it by 1 July 2026, and none had notified full transposition by 25 September 2026. Operators need an environmental management system by 1 July 2027, and large pig and poultry farms follow from 2030. The Dutch bill is before the Eerste Kamer.

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    Parliament plenary, first reading of Omnibus VIII