No L 188/20 Official Journal of the European Con munities 16. 7. 84 COUNCIL DIRECTIVE of 28 June 1984 on the combating of air pollution from industrial plants (84/360/EEC) THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, and in particular Articles 100 and 235 thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commis- sion (1), ' Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament (3), Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee (), Whereas the 1973 (4), 1977 () and 1983 (®) action programmes of the European Communities on the environment stress the importance of the prevention and reduction of air pollution; Whereas the 1973 and 1977 action programmes in particular provide not only for the objective evalua- tion of the risks to human health and to the environ- ment from air pollution but also for the formulation of quality objectives and the setting of quality stan- dards, especially for a number of air pollutants regarded as the most hazardous; Whereas the Council has already adopted several Directives under these programmes; Whereas, moreover, under Decision 81/462/EEC (7) the Community is a party to the Convention on long-range transboundary air pollution; Whereas the 1983 action programme, the general guidelines of which have been approved by the Council of the European Communities and by the representatives of the Member States meeting within the Council, envisages that the Commission will (') OJ No C 139,27.5. 1983, p. S. (’) OJ No C 342, 19. 12. 1983, p. 160. (‘) OJ No C 23, 30. 1. 1984, p. 27. *) OJNoC112,20.12.1973,p. 1. () OJNoC 139,13.6.1977,p. 1. (®) OJNo(C46,17.2.1983.p. I. (') OJNoLI71,27.6.1981,p. 11. continue its efforts to establish air quality standards and that where appropriate emission standards for certain types of source should be laid down; Whereas all the Member States have laws, regula- tions and administrative provisions concerning the combating of air pollution from stationary industrial plants; whereas several Member States are in the process of amending the existing provisions; Whereas the disparities between the provisions con- cerning the combating of air pollution from indus- trial installations currently in force, or in the process of amendment, in the different Member States are liable to cieate unequal conditions of competition and thus have a direct effect on the functioning of the common market; whereas, therefore, approxima- tion of the law in this field is required, as provided for by Article 100 of the Treaty; 1 Whereas cne of the essential tasks of the Com- munity is 10 promote throughout the Community a harmonious development of economic activities and a continuous and balanced expansion, tasks which are inconceivable in the absence of a campaign to combat pollution and nuisances or of an improve- ment in the quality of life and in the protection of the environment; Whereas the Community should and must help increase the effectiveness of action undertaken by the Membecr States to combat air pollution from sta- tionary industrial plants; Whereas in order to achieve this end certain princi- ples aiming at the implementation of a series of measures and procedures designed to prevent and reduce air pollution from industrial plants within the Community should be introduced; Whereas the Community’s endeavours to introduce these principles can be only gradual, bearing in mind the complexity of the situations and the fun- damental principles on which the various national policies are based;