Land use planning, industrial hazards and the ‘COMAH’ Directive

The European Commission has produced a draft proposal for a new ‘Seveso’ Directive on the Control of Major Accident Hazards (COMAH) which incorporates for the first time a land use planning element. Drawing on a previous discussion, the proposed land use planning provisions in this Directive are described and evaluated. A number of problem areas are identified and the likely implications for member states of the European Community assessed.