ERU, Alm.del - 2023-24 - Endeligt svar på spørgsmål 205: MFU spm. om, hvordan Slovakiet, Portugal, Tjekkiet, Grækenland og Spaniens nationale ordninger for obligatoriske forsikringer i relation til miljøskader er udformet, og hvorledes de fungerer i praksis

Erhvervsudvalget 2023-24
ERU Alm.del
Offentligt

Folketingets Miljø- og Fødevareudvalg

Christiansborg

1240 København K

J.nr. 2024 - 2963

Den 23. oktober 2024

Miljøministerens endelige besvarelse af spørgsmål nr. 205 (Alm. del) fra Folketingets Erhvervsudvalg

stillet den 8. marts 2024 efter ønske fra Pelle Dragsted (EL).

Spørgsmål nr. 205

”Kan

ministeren

–

eventuelt i samarbejde med andre relevante ministre

–

indhente nærmere

oplysninger om, hvordan Slovakiet, Portugal, Tjekkiet, Grækenland og Spaniens nationale ordninger for

obligatoriske forsikringer i relation til miljøskader er udformet, og hvorledes de fungerer i praksis? Kan

ministeren desuden redegøre for, hvordan Nordic Waste-sagen havde set ud fra et

omkostningsdækningsperspektiv, såfremt vi i Danmark havde haft tilsvarende lovgivning som i de

enkelte lande, der har obligatoriske forsikringer?”

Svar

Miljøministeriet har via Udenrigsministeriet anmodet om oplysninger til brug for besvarelsen af

spørgsmålet fra Slovakiet, Tjekkiet, Grækenland, Portugal og Spanien. Følgende oplysninger er

indhentet enten som direkte besvarelser fra de pågældende lande eller efter kontakt fra dansk

ambassade:

Slovakiet

”The

Slovak Republic transposed and implemented mentioned directive into the Act No.

359/2007 on the prevention and remedying of environmental damages and amending certain

acts. According to this act the operator of the activity mentioned in § 1 par. 2 is obliged to ensure

financial covering of its liability for environmental damage, including the anticipated costs of

remedial action and remedial measures to eliminate environmental damage that may be caused

by his occupational activity, continuously during the entire working time activities (§ 13

paragraph 1).

The operator is obliged no later than 100 days after the authorization of the work activity prove

to the competent authority the method of financial coverage of their responsibility for

environmental damage, including the estimated costs of remedial action and compensation

measures to eliminate environmental damage and immediately inform the competent authority

in writing about all its changes (§ 13, paragraph 3).

The operator is obliged to ensure financial coverage of liability for environmental damage in

the form of an environmental damage liability insurance contract or in the form of contractual

security of a suitable method of financial coverage of this liability, for example, a bank

guarantee or a special account with specially earmarked funds.

Miljø- og Ligestillingsministeriet

•

Frederiksholms Kanal 26

•

1220 København K

Tlf. 38 14 21 42

• CVR

12854358

• EAN

5798000862005

•

[email protected]

•

www.mim.dk

ERU, Alm.del - 2023-24 - Endeligt svar på spørgsmål 205: MFU spm. om, hvordan Slovakiet, Portugal, Tjekkiet, Grækenland og Spaniens nationale ordninger for obligatoriske forsikringer i relation til miljøskader er udformet, og hvorledes de fungerer i praksis

From mentioned Act: “Section 13 Financial cover of the liability for environmental damage

(1) The operator of the activity, subject to Section 1 paragraph 2, shall be obliged to provide

effective cover for his liability for the environmental damage, including expected costs for

remedial activity and remedial measures for the elimination of environmental damage that may

be caused by his occupational activity, namely during the entire operations of his occupational

activity. The operator shall be obliged to provide the financial cover of the liability for

environmental damage by the form of conclusion of the insurance contract or shall

contractually provide for another suitable method of financial coverage of such liability, for

example in the form of a bank guaranty.

(2) The amount of the financial coverage must correspond to the amount of expected costs for

remedial activity, including risk analysis, and the costs for remedial measures to eliminate

environmental damage.

(3) The operator shall, within 100 days, at the latest, from the permit for the occupational

activity, be obliged to demonstrate for the competent authority the way of financial cover of his

liability for environmental damage, including expected costs for remedial activity and remedial

measures for the elimination of environmental damage, and notify the competent authority in

writing, without delay, of any changes thereof.

(4) The operator of the occupational activity shall to demonstrate for the competent authority

the way of financial cover of his liability for environmental damage including expected costs for

remedial activity and remedial measures for the elimination of environmental damage, and

notify the competent authority in writing, without delay,

of any changes thereof.”

Based on experience so far it can be said that the operators mostly use insurance products and

insurance companies offer special products for this purpose. Only small businesses use special

accounts in the bank. Bank guarantees are not used in practice. Guidelines for assessing

environmental damage are available to operators.

In case that the operator does not take preventive/remedial measures or is bankrupt, the

relevant competent authority can take preventive/remedial measures. The costs of these

measures may be reimbursed from the Environmental fund.

The Ministry is currently preparing a change in the legislation that will exclude small businesses

which do not have the potential to cause serious environmental damage (e.g. pharmacies, car

repair shops…) from mandatory liability coverage.”

Tjekkiet

”

I overensstemmelse med »forureneren betaler-princippet« fastlagt i EU-direktiv 2004/35/EF

(miljøansvarsdirektivet) skal en operatør efter tjekkisk lovgivning som udgangspunkt stille

finansiel sikkerhed for eventuel kompensation. Det følger således af lov nr. 167/2008 om

forebyggelse og afhjælpning af miljøskader, at operatører, der udfører driftsaktiviteter som

nærmere anført i bilag 1 til loven, pålæggesen forpligtelse til at stille finansiel sikkerhed for

kompensation for omkostninger, omfattet af loven.

Omfanget af den økonomiske sikkerhedsstillelse skal stå i rimeligt forhold til omfanget af de

potentielle omkostninger og intensitet eller grad af risiko for miljøskader i hele perioden for

operatørens driftsaktivitet. På den baggrund skal operatøren foretage en risikovurdering af de

enkelte driftsaktiviteter, omfattet af bilag 1 til loven, og som operatøren har til hensigt at udføre,

samt løbende opdatere denne vurdering i tilfælde af væsentlige ændringer i driftsaktiviteten.

Den operationelle aktivitet må ikke udføres uden økonomisk sikkerhedsstillelse i henhold til

loven.

Fremgangsmåden for vurderingen af risikoen er beskrevet i regeringsforordning 295/2011 om

metoden til vurdering af risikoen for økologisk skade og de detaljerede betingelser for finansiel

sikkerhed.

Denne vurdering består af to dele, hhv. den grundlæggende risikovurdering og den detaljerede

risikovurdering. Enhver operatør, der udfører operationelle aktiviteter i henhold til bilag 1 i

loven, er forpligtet til at udarbejde en grundlæggende risikovurdering og skal på baggrund af

resultaterne af denne vurdering også udarbejde en detaljeret risikovurdering. Den

grundlæggende risikovurdering udarbejdes i form af en screening efter parametre angivet i

tilhørende bilag 1 til ovennævnte regeringsforordning.

De enkelte punkter gives point, og hvis det samlede antal point er mindre end 50, anses risikoen

for at forårsage miljøskader for lav, og operatøren behøver ikke at foretage en detaljeret

risikovurdering af aktiviteten og stille finansiel sikkerhed. Hvis det samlede resultat for den

grundlæggende risikovurdering er højere end 50, skal operatøren derimod udarbejde en

detaljeret risikovurdering.

Hvis den detaljerede risikovurdering viser, at de påtænkte driftsaktiviteter kan forårsage

miljøskader, hvor omkostningerne til afhjælpning vil overstige CZK 20.000.000 (6.048.000

DKK), er operatøren forpligtet til at stille økonomisk sikkerhed i tilfælde af miljøskader.

Den nødvendige finansielle sikkerhedsstillelse kan deponeres på en særlig konto eller, hvilket

oftere er tilfældet, søges dækket af en ansvarsforsikring hos kommercielle forsikringsselskaber.

Dog følger det af lov om forebyggelse og afhjælpning af miljøskader, at en operatør ikke er

forpligtet til at stille økonomisk sikkerhed, hvis operatøren er registreret i EMAS- programmet

eller beviseligt har påbegyndt de aktiviteter, der er nødvendige for at blive registreret i dette

program, eller som har et certificeret miljøledelsessystem, der er anerkendt i henhold til

standardsættet

ČSN EN ISO 14000,

eller beviseligt har påbegyndt de aktiviteter, der er

nødvendige for at opnå denne certificering. Det bemærkes i den sammenhæng, at det tjekkiske

miljøministerium er ved at udarbejde en lovændring med henblik på at fjerne disse undtagelse

fra forpligtelsen til at stille finansiel sikkerhed. Lovændringen vil også indføre en forpligtelse til

at informere myndighederne om, at operatøren har stillet økonomisk sikkerhed og samtidig

oprettes en database over sådanne operatører. I øjeblikket er det ikke fastsat nogen straf i

tilfælde, hvor at en operatør ikke har stillet finansiel sikkerhed.

Hvis en operatør forårsager miljøskade men undlader at træffe afhjælpende foranstaltninger,

bæres omkostningerne hertil af den kompetente myndighed, der udsteder beslutning om

afhjælpning. Myndigheden betaler af statsbudgettet omkostningerne på vegne af operatøren og

inddriver dem efterfølgende fra operatøren.

Er operatøren gået konkurs eller under likvidation, skal den håndhævende myndighed kræve

omkostningerne godtgjort i forbindelse med insolvensbehandlingen eller evt. i forbindelse med

anden behandling i henhold til tjekkisk insolvenslov eller likvidation af en juridisk person. Hvis

operatøren ikke kan identificeres, er ophørt med at eksistere, er død uden en retlig efterfølger,

hvis kravet ikke kan inddrives, eller hvis operatøren beviser, at han ikke er ansvarlig for

omkostningerne i henhold til denne lov, bæres omkostningerne af staten.

Tjekkiet har dog ingen praktisk erfaring med anvendelsen af lov om forebyggelse og

afhjælpning af miljøskader, da der endnu ikke er registreret tilfælde af miljøskader omfattet af

loven. Aktuelle tilfælde af miljøskader håndteres af de kompetente myndigheder ved hjælp af

anden lovgivning, hvor miljøskader og afhjælpning heraf også behandles.”

Grækenland

”The

Greek Government transposed the ELD by Presidential Decree (PD) No 148/2009 “On

Environmental Liability for the Prevention and Remedying of Environmental Damage” (Official

Journal No 190/2009). P.D. 148/2009 entered into force on 29 September 2009, with

retrospective effect to 30 April 2007.

Greece has enacted legislation to impose mandatory financial security for ELD liabilities. The

legislation to bring the requirements into force had not been enacted yet. Article 14 of PD

148/2009 provides for the introduction of compulsory financial security for specific projects and

activities. Article 14 includes a legal authorization for the adoption of a Joint Ministerial

Decision, which will define and regulate the exact terms and conditions applicable to mandatory

financial security.

It has to be highlighted here that, according to legislation applicable to hazardous waste (which

is under the scope of ELD), the management, storage and transportation of hazardous waste is

subject to compulsory insurance against environmental liability. In specific, according to Joint

Ministerial Decision 13588/725/2006

“On measures, terms and restrictions for the

management of hazardous waste in compliance with Directive 91/689/EEC on hazardous

waste”, as amended and in force, projects and activities focused on the collection, storage,

management and transportation of hazardous waste must obtain an insurance policy against

environmental damage. The insurance policy must at least determine the activities covered, it

must cover at least liability towards third parties and restoration of the environment at its

previous situation, while the amount of coverage ranges between 500,000 and 1,000,000 euro.

The signing of the policy and the submission of a relevant copy to the licensing authority

constitute a precondition for the granting of any environmental license. In addition according

to Law 4685/2020 collection, storage, management and transportation of non-hazardous

waste (also under the scope of ELD) as well, are required to obtain financial security. A draft

ministerial decision is underway in order to enact financial security for all activities included

under the scope of ELD.

The majority of policies do cover primary and complementary remediation up to the insurance

limit.

Special provisions in cases of bankruptcy are not applicable. If the competent authority take

over the restoration measures (because of environmental damage or significant threat to the

environment) then the demand for recovery of the amount from the responsible operator, is

subject among demands from his creditors.”

Portugal

“The

decree-law no. 147/2008 transposes to the Portuguese legal system the Directive

2004/35/EC, and establishes the Legal Framework for Liability for Environmental Damage.

Under the mentioned decree-law, operators who carry out any of the occupational activities

listed in the Annex III to the decree are obliged to set up a financial guarantee - that enables

them to assume the environmental liability inherent in the activity they carry out (Article 22).

Financial guarantees can be set up via:

subscription of insurance policies;

II)

obtaining bank guarantees;

III)

setting aside own funds for this purpose; or

IV)

participation in environmental funds.

In what concerns the value of the financial guarantees, there is no set amount.

The amount is calculated according to the risk of the activity at stake, taking into consideration

the estimated costs for both preventive measures (Article 14) and repair measures (Article 15)

related to the potentially caused damage.

To this end, the operator must:

Characterise the establishment, its surroundings and occupational activity, including all

operations involving risks to protected species and natural habitats, water and soil, and

analyse the history of emissions, events or incidents that have occurred.

Identify the sources of danger, initiating events and accident scenarios likely to affect

protected species and natural habitats, surface waters, artificial or heavily modified

bodies of water, groundwater and marine waters, and soils in the vicinity of the

occupational activity, as well as services from these natural resources.

Assess the frequency of occurrence of foreseeable risk scenarios.

Assess the severity of the consequences, i.e. the environmental damage associated with

the foreseeable risk scenarios, estimating the resources and respective services affected -

namely in terms of the extent, depth, persistence and duration of the damage or loss of

services.

Define the necessary and appropriate preventive and remedial measures to be adopted.

Estimate the costs of the measures defined in the previous paragraph, for the scenario

with the most serious consequences for the resources covered.

In the case of insurance policies, in order to support operators in complying with the

aforementioned regime, it is suggested that the following elements are taken into account:

Name of the ‘policy’, full identification of the documents, date and signature;

Identification, VAT number and address of the parties: insured, beneficiary and

representative of the insurer;

Unequivocal identification of the insured location;

Object of the insurance and its nature (to ensure the environmental liability of the

operator inherent to the activity it carries out within the scope of Decree-Law no.

147/2008, of 29 July, in its current wording);

Risks covered and respective exclusions;

Insured capital;

Territorial scope of the contract;

Premium or formula for calculating it;

Time limit of the contract;

Content of the insurer's benefit in the event of a claim or how to determine it;

Any waiting periods and deductibles;

Any increases or bonuses that may be applied to the contract;

Renewal, waiver and free cancellation of the contract, if defined;

Other rights and obligations of the parties;

Law applicable to the contract and arbitration conditions.

The Portuguese Environment Agency (APA) is the body responsible for implementing the Legal

Framework for Liability for Environmental Damage.

The Insurance and Pension Funds Supervisory Authority is the national authority whose

mission is to ensure the proper functioning of the insurance and pension funds market in

Portugal, in order to help guarantee the protection of policyholders, insured persons,

participants and beneficiaries.”

Spanien

“Spain

has introduced mandatory financial security for certain operators:

Operators subject to the scope of application of Royal Decree 840/2015 of 21 September

approving measures to control risks inherent to major accidents involving hazardous

substances (SEVESO)

Operators subject to the scope of application of Royal Legislative Decree 1/2016, of 16

December approving the consolidated text of the law on Integrated Pollution Prevention

and Control (IPPC)

Waste management operators in the extractive industries, in the case of installations

classified as Category A, according to Royal Decree 975/2009 of 12 June

The financial security scheme entered gradually into force for them from 2018 to 2022, and the

types of financial security specified in Law 26/2007 are:

An insurance policy meeting the requirements of Law 50/1980, of 8 October on

Insurance Contracts and taken out with an insurance company authorised to operate

in Spain.

A bank guarantee provided by a financial institution authorised to operate in Spain.

A technical reserve consisting of an ad hoc fund of financial investments backed by the

public sector.

The determination of the amount of the mandatory financial security for operators required to

provide it, must be based on an environmental risk analysis, and based on it, operators have to

carry out a series of steps described in Article 33 of the Regulation of partial development of the

law:

Identify the accident scenarios and establish the probability of occurrence of each

scenario.

Estimate the Environmental Damage Index associated to each accident scenario,

following the steps established in Annex III of the regulations.

Calculate the risk associated with each accident scenario based on the probability of

occurrence of the scenario and the value of the environmental damage index.

Select the scenarios with the lowest associated environmental damage index representing

95 percent of the total risk.

Set the amount of the financial security as the value of the environmental damage of the

scenario with the highest environmental damage index among the selected accident

scenarios. This process shall follow these steps:

1. First, the environmental damage generated in each scenario shall be quantified.

2. Second, the environmental damage generated in each scenario shall be monetized, the

value of which shall be equal to the cost of the primary remediation project.

The cost of prevention and avoidance measures, representing at least 10% of the cost of the

primary remediation project, must be added to the calculated amount.

Once the financial security has been determined, the operator must submit to the competent

authority an affidavit stating that it has been provided in accordance with the procedure

established in the regulations. The competent authorities shall establish the corresponding

monitoring systems enabling them to check operators’ compliance with their obligations to

determine and provide the financial security.

There are some flexibility mechanisms, and once the environmental risk analyses and the

amount of financial security has been determined, the following operators are exempted from

the obligation to provide a financial security:

Operators of activities likely to cause damage remediation which is estimated to cost

less than 300,000 euros.

Operators of activities likely to cause damage remediation which is estimated to cost

between 300,000 and 2,000,000 euros, and who can accredit adherence either to the

EU Eco-Management and Audit System (EMAS) or to the current UNE- EN ISO 14001

environmental management system.

As stated above, the financial security scheme entered gradually into force for them from 2018

to 2022, and once it entered into force, it is a requisite for these operators to have them in order

to operate.

“

Miljøministeriet har ikke mulighed for at vurdere, hvilken betydning tilsvarende regler

–

som de ovenfor

beskrevne

–

ville have haft for Nordic Waste-sagen. Miljøministeriet bemærker i den sammenhæng, at

rammerne for arbejdet med en undersøgelse af, om miljøskadereglernes indretning fungerer efter

intentionen, er blevet fastlagt. Dette arbejde omfatter ligeledes en undersøgelse af reglerne om

sikkerhedsstillelse.

Magnus Heunicke

Paolo Perotti