Subject to paragraphs 2 and 3, this Directive covers the management of waste resulting from the prospecting, extraction, treatment and storage of mineral resources and the working of quarries, hereinafter ‘extractive waste’.

The following shall be excluded from the scope of this Directive:

Inert waste and unpolluted soil resulting from the prospecting, extraction, treatment and storage of mineral resources and the working of quarries and waste resulting from the extraction, treatment and storage of peat shall not be subject to Articles 7, 8, 11(1) and (3), 12, 13(6), 14 and 16, unless deposited in a Category A waste facility.

The competent authority may reduce or waive the requirements for the deposit of non-hazardous waste generated from the prospecting of mineral resources, except oil and evaporites other than gypsum and anhydrite, as well as for the deposit of unpolluted soil and of waste resulting from the extraction, treatment and storage of peat as long as it is satisfied that the requirements of Article 4 are met.

Member States may reduce or waive the requirements of Articles 11(3), 12(5) and (6), 13(6), 14 and 16 for non-hazardous non-inert waste, unless deposited in a Category A waste facility.

Without prejudice to other Community legislation, waste which falls within the scope of this Directive shall not be subject to Directive 1999/31/EC.

Member States shall take the necessary measures to ensure that extractive waste is managed without endangering human health and without using processes or methods which could harm the environment, and in particular without risk to water, air, soil and fauna and flora, without causing a nuisance through noise or odours and without adversely affecting the landscape or places of special interest. Member States shall also take the necessary measures to prohibit the abandonment, dumping or uncontrolled depositing of extractive waste.

Member States shall ensure that the operator takes all measures necessary to prevent or reduce as far as possible any adverse effects on the environment and human health brought about as a result of the management of extractive waste. This includes the management of any waste facility, also after its closure, and the prevention of major accidents involving that facility and the limiting of their consequences for the environment and human health.

The measures referred to in paragraph 2 shall be based, inter alia, on the best available techniques, without prescribing the use of any technique or specific technology, but taking into account the technical characteristics of the waste facility, its geographical location and the local environmental conditions.

Member States shall ensure that the operator draws up a waste management plan for the minimisation, treatment, recovery and disposal of extractive waste, taking account of the principle of sustainable development.

The objectives of the waste management plan shall be:

The waste management plan shall contain at least the following elements:

The waste management plan shall provide sufficient information to enable the competent authority to evaluate the operator's ability to meet the objectives of the waste management plan as set out in paragraph 2 and his obligations under this Directive. The plan shall explain, in particular, how the option and method chosen as mentioned in paragraph 2(a)(i) will fulfil the objectives of the waste management plan as laid down in paragraph 2(a).

The waste management plan shall be reviewed every five years and/or amended, as appropriate, in the event of substantial changes to the operation of the waste facility or to the waste deposited. Any amendments shall be notified to the competent authority.

Plans produced pursuant to other national or Community legislation and containing the information specified in paragraph 3 may be used where this obviates the unnecessary duplication of information and the repetition of work by the operator, on condition that all requirements under paragraphs 1 to 4 are met.

The competent authority shall approve the waste management plan on the basis of procedures to be decided by the Member States and shall monitor its implementation.

This Article shall apply to Category A waste facilities, save for those waste facilities falling within the scope of Directive 96/82/EC.

Without prejudice to other Community legislation, and in particular Directives 92/91/EEC and 92/104/EEC, Member States shall ensure that major-accident hazards are identified and that the necessary features are incorporated into the design, construction, operation and maintenance, closure and after-closure of the waste facility in order to prevent such accidents and to limit their adverse consequences for human health and/or the environment, including any transboundary impacts.

For the purposes of the requirements under paragraph 2, each operator shall, before the start of operations, draw up a major-accident prevention policy for the management of extractive waste and put into effect a safety management system implementing it, in accordance with the elements set out in Section 1 of Annex I, and shall also put into effect an internal emergency plan specifying the measures to be taken on site in the event of an accident.

As part of that policy, the operator shall appoint a safety manager responsible for the implementation and periodic supervision of the major-accident prevention policy.

The competent authority shall draw up an external emergency plan specifying the measures to be taken off‐site in the event of an accident. As part of the application for a permit the operator shall provide the competent authority with the information necessary to enable the latter to draw up that plan.

The emergency plans referred to in paragraph 3 shall have the following objectives:

Member States shall ensure that, in the event of a major accident, the operator immediately provides the competent authority with all the information required to help minimise its consequences for human health and to assess and minimise the extent, actual or potential, of the environmental damage.

Member States shall ensure that the public concerned are given early and effective opportunities to participate in the preparation or review of the external emergency plan to be drawn up in accordance with paragraph 3. To that end, the public concerned shall be informed about any such proposal and relevant information shall be made available, including, inter alia, information about the right to participate in the decision-making process and about the competent authority to which comments and questions may be submitted.

Member States shall ensure that the public concerned is entitled to express comments within reasonable time frames and that, in the decision on the external emergency plan, due account is taken of these comments.

Member States shall ensure that information on safety measures and on the action required in the event of an accident, containing at least the elements listed in Section 2 of Annex I, is provided, free of charge and as a matter of course, to the public concerned.

That information shall be reviewed every three years and, where necessary, updated.

No waste facility shall be allowed to operate without a permit granted by the competent authority. The permit shall contain the elements specified in paragraph 2 of this Article and shall clearly indicate the category of the waste facility in accordance with the criteria referred to in Article 9.

Subject to compliance with all requirements under this Article, any permit produced pursuant to other national or Community legislation may be combined to form a single permit, where such a format obviates the unnecessary duplication of information and the repetition of work by the operator or competent authority. The details specified in paragraph 2 can be covered by one single permit or several permits, provided that all requirements under this Article are complied with.

The application for a permit shall contain at least the following details:

The competent authority shall only grant a permit if it is satisfied that:

Member States shall take the necessary measures to ensure that competent authorities periodically reconsider and, where necessary, update permit conditions:

The information contained in a permit granted under this Article shall be made available to the competent national and Community statistical authorities where requested for statistical purposes. Sensitive information of a purely commercial nature, such as information concerning business relations and cost components and the volume of economic mineral reserves, shall not be made public.

The public shall be informed, by public notices or other appropriate means, such as electronic media where available, of the following matters early in the procedure for granting a permit or, at the latest, as soon as the information can reasonably be provided:

Member States shall ensure that, within appropriate time frames, the following are made available to the public concerned:

Member States shall take appropriate measures to ensure that the public are informed, in accordance with paragraph 1 of this Article, of an update of permit conditions in accordance with Article 7(4).

The public concerned shall be entitled to express comments and opinions to the competent authority before a decision is taken.

The results of the consultations held pursuant to this Article shall be duly taken into account in the taking of a decision.

When a decision has been taken the competent authority shall, in accordance with the appropriate procedures, inform the public concerned and shall make the following information available to the public concerned:

The detailed arrangements for public participation under this Article shall be determined by the Member States so as to enable the public concerned to prepare and participate effectively.

Member States shall ensure that the operator, when placing extractive waste back into the excavation voids for rehabilitation and construction purposes, whether created through surface or underground extraction, takes appropriate measures in order to:

Directive 1999/31/EC shall continue to apply to the waste other than extractive waste used for filling in excavation voids as appropriate.

Member States shall take appropriate measures to ensure that the management of a waste facility is in the hands of a competent person and that technical development and training of staff are provided.

The competent authority shall satisfy itself that, in constructing a new waste facility or modifying an existing waste facility, the operator ensures that:

Records of the monitoring and inspections referred to in point (c) shall be kept, together with permit documentation, in order to ensure the appropriate hand-over of information, particularly in the event of a change of operator.

The operator shall, without undue delay and in any event not later than 48 hours thereafter, notify the competent authority of any events likely to affect the stability of the waste facility and any significant adverse environmental effects revealed by the control and monitoring procedures of the waste facility. The operator shall implement the internal emergency plan, where applicable, and follow any other instruction from the competent authority as to the corrective measures to be taken.

The operator shall bear the costs of the measures to be undertaken.

At a frequency to be determined by the competent authority, and in any event at least once a year, the operator shall report, on the basis of aggregated data, all monitoring results to the competent authorities for the purposes of demonstrating compliance with permit conditions and increasing knowledge of waste and waste facility behaviour. On the basis of this report the competent authority may decide that validation by an independent expert is necessary.

Member States shall take measures to ensure compliance with paragraphs 2 to 5.

A waste facility shall only start the closure procedure if one of the following conditions is satisfied:

A waste facility may be considered as finally closed only after the competent authority has, without undue delay, carried out a final on-site inspection, assessed all the reports submitted by the operator, certified that the land affected by a waste facility has been rehabilitated and communicated to the operator its approval of the closure.

That approval shall not in any way reduce the operator's obligations under the conditions of the permit or otherwise in law.

The operator shall be responsible for the maintenance, monitoring, control and corrective measures in the after-closure phase for as long as may be required by the competent authority, taking into account the nature and duration of the hazard, save where the competent authority decides to take over such tasks from the operator, after a waste facility has been finally closed and without prejudice to any national or Community legislation governing the liability of the waste holder.

When considered necessary by the competent authority, in order to fulfil relevant environmental requirements set out in Community legislation, in particular those in Directives 76/464/EEC, 80/68/EEC and 2000/60/EC, following closure of a waste facility, the operator shall, inter alia, control the physical and chemical stability of the facility and minimise any negative environmental effect, in particular with respect to surface and groundwater, by ensuring that:

Following closure of a waste facility, the operator shall, without delay, notify the competent authority of any events or developments likely to affect the stability of the waste facility, and any significant adverse environmental effects revealed by the relevant control and monitoring procedures. The operator shall implement the internal emergency plan, where applicable, and follow any other instruction from the competent authority as to the corrective measures to be taken.

The operator shall bear the costs of the measures to be undertaken.

In cases and at a frequency to be determined by the competent authority, the operator shall report, on the basis of aggregated data, all monitoring results to the competent authorities for the purposes of demonstrating compliance with permit conditions and increasing knowledge of waste and waste facility behaviour.

The competent authority shall satisfy itself that the operator has taken the necessary measures in order to meet Community environmental standards, in particular to prevent, in accordance with Directive 2000/60/EC, the deterioration of current water status, inter alia, by:

The competent authority shall ensure that the operator has taken adequate measures to prevent or reduce dust and gas emissions.

Where, on the basis of an assessment of environmental risks, taking into account, in particular, Directives 76/464/EEC, 80/68/EEC or 2000/60/EC, as applicable, the competent authority has decided that collection and treatment of leachate is not necessary or it has been established that the waste facility poses no potential hazard to soil, groundwater or surface water, the requirements set out in points (b) and (c) of paragraph 1 may be reduced or waived accordingly.

Member States shall make the disposal of extractive waste, whether in solid, slurry or liquid form, into any receiving body of water other than one constructed for the purpose of disposing of extractive waste conditional upon compliance by the operator with the relevant requirements of Directives 76/464/EEC, 80/68/EEC and 2000/60/EC.

When placing extractive waste back into excavation voids, whether created through surface or underground extraction, which will be allowed to flood after closure, the operator shall take the necessary measures to prevent or minimise water status deterioration and soil pollution in accordance, mutatis mutandis, with paragraphs (1) and (3).The operator shall provide the competent authority with the information necessary to ensure compliance with Community obligations, in particular those in Directive 2000/60/EC.

In the case of a pond involving the presence of cyanide, the operator shall ensure that the concentration of weak acid dissociable cyanide in the pond is reduced to the lowest possible level using best available techniques and, in any case, at waste facilities which have previously been granted a permit or have already been in operation on 1 May 2008 that the concentration of weak acid dissociable cyanide at the point of discharge of the tailings from the processing plant into the pond does not exceed 50 ppm as from 1 May 2008, 25 ppm as from 1 May 2013, 10 ppm as from 1 May 2018 and 10 ppm at waste facilities which are granted a permit after 1 May 2008.

If the competent authority so requests, the operator shall demonstrate, through a risk assessment that takes site-specific conditions into account, that those concentration limits need not be further lowered.

The competent authority shall, prior to the commencement of any operations involving the accumulation or deposit of extractive waste in a waste facility, require a financial guarantee (e.g. in the form of a financial deposit, including industry-sponsored mutual guarantee funds) or equivalent, in accordance with procedures to be decided by the Member States, so that:

The calculation of the guarantee referred to in paragraph 1 shall be made on the basis of:

The size of the guarantee shall be periodically adjusted in accordance with any rehabilitation work needed to be carried out on the land affected by the waste facility, as described in the waste management plan prepared pursuant to Article 5 and required by the Article 7 permit.

Where the competent authority approves closure in accordance with Article 12(3), it shall provide the operator with a written statement releasing him from the guarantee obligation referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article with the exception of after-closure obligations as referred to in Article 12(4).

Where a Member State in which a waste facility is situated is aware that the operation of a Category A waste facility is likely to have significant adverse effects on the environment of, and any resultant risks to human health in, another Member State, or where a Member State likely to be thus affected so requests, the Member State in whose territory the application for a permit pursuant to Article 7 was submitted shall forward the information provided pursuant to that Article to the other Member State at the same time as it makes it available to its own nationals.

Such information shall serve as a basis for any consultation necessary within the context of bilateral relations between the two Member States on a reciprocal and equivalent basis.

Within the framework of their bilateral relations, Member States shall ensure that in the cases referred to in paragraph 1 the applications are also made available for an appropriate period of time to the public concerned of the Member State likely to be affected so that they will have the right to comment on them before the competent authority reaches its decision.

Member States shall ensure that, in the event of an accident involving a waste facility as referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article, information provided by the operator to the competent authority pursuant to Article 6(4) is immediately forwarded to the other Member State in order to help minimise the consequences of the accident for human health and to assess and minimise the extent of the actual or potential environmental damage.

Prior to the commencement of deposit operations and at regular intervals thereafter, including the after-closure phase, to be decided by the Member State concerned, the competent authority shall inspect any waste facility covered by Article 7 in order to ensure that it complies with the relevant conditions of the permit. An affirmative finding shall in no way reduce the responsibility of the operator under the conditions of the permit.

Member States shall require the operator to keep up-to-date records of all waste management operations and make them available for inspection by the competent authority and to ensure that, in the event of a change of operator during the management of a waste facility, there is an appropriate transfer of relevant up-to-date information and records relating to the waste facility.

At intervals of three years Member States shall transmit to the Commission a report on the implementation of this Directive. The report shall be drawn up on the basis of a questionnaire or outline to be adopted by the Commission in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 23(2). The report shall be transmitted to the Commission within nine months of the end of the three-year period covered by it.

The Commission shall publish a report on the implementation of this Directive within nine months of receiving the reports from the Member States.

Every year Member States shall transmit to the Commission information on events notified by the operators in accordance with Articles 11(3) and 12(6). The Commission shall make this information available to the Member States upon request. Without prejudice to Community law on public access to environmental information, Member States shall in their turn make the information available to members of the public concerned on request.

The Commission, assisted by the Committee referred to in Article 23, shall ensure that there is an appropriate exchange of technical and scientific information between Member States, with a view to developing methodologies relating to:

Member States shall ensure that the competent authority follows or is informed of developments in best available techniques.

The Commission shall organise an exchange of information between Member States and the organisations concerned on best available techniques, associated monitoring and developments in them. The Commission shall publish the results of the exchange of information.

The Commission shall, in accordance with the regulatory procedure referred to in Article 23(2), adopt the following:

The Commission shall lay down provisions necessary for the following, prioritising points (b), (c) and (d):

The Commission shall make the necessary amendments to the Annexes for the purpose of adapting them to scientific and technical progress. Those amendments shall be made with a view to achieving a high level of environmental protection.

The Commission shall be assisted by the Committee established by Article 18 of Directive 75/442/EEC, hereinafter ‘the Committee’.

Where reference is made to this paragraph, Articles 5 and 7 of Decision 1999/468/EC shall apply, having regard to the provisions of Article 8 thereof.

The period laid down in Article 5(6) of Decision 1999/468/EC shall be set at three months.

Where reference is made to this paragraph, Article 5a(1) to (4) and Article 7 of Decision 1999/468/EC shall apply, having regard to the provisions of Article 8 thereof.

Member States shall ensure that any waste facility which has been granted a permit or which is already in operation on 1 May 2008 complies with the provisions of this Directive by 1 May 2012, except for those set out in Article 14(1) for which compliance must be ensured by 1 May 2014 and for those set out in Article 13(6) for which compliance must be ensured in accordance with the timetable laid down therein.

Paragraph 1 shall not apply to waste facilities closed by 1 May 2008.

Member States shall ensure that, from 1 May 2006 and notwithstanding any closure of a waste facility after that date and before 1 May 2008, extractive waste is managed in a way that does not prejudice the fulfilment of Article 4(1) of this Directive, and other applicable environmental requirements set out in Community legislation, including Directive 2000/60/EC.

Articles 5, 6(3) to (5), 7, 8, 12(1) and (2) and 14(1) to (3) shall not apply to those waste facilities that:

Member States shall notify such cases to the Commission by 1 August 2008 and ensure that these facilities are managed in a way that does not prejudice the achievement of the objectives of this Directive, in particular the objectives of Article 4(1), and those of any other Community legislation, including Directive 2000/60/EC.

Member States shall bring into force the laws, regulations and administrative provisions necessary to comply with this Directive before 1 May 2008. They shall forthwith inform the Commission thereof.

When Member States adopt these measures, they shall contain a reference to this Directive or shall be accompanied by such reference on the occasion of their official publication. The methods of making such reference shall be laid down by Member States.

Member States shall communicate to the Commission the text of the provisions of national law which they adopt in the field covered by this Directive.