If your site carries out a specified industrial or waste activity in Ireland, it may need an EPA licence. The two regimes people most often confuse are Industrial Emissions (IE) licensing — the regime that implements the Industrial Emissions Directive, or IED — and Integrated Pollution Control (IPC) licensing. They are separate authorisations with different activity classes, and choosing the wrong route costs time.
What the IED and an IE licence mean
The Industrial Emissions Directive is the European framework for controlling emissions from industrial installations. In Ireland it is given effect through the Industrial Emissions licensing regime: an IE licence is the EPA authorisation for industrial installations and certain waste activities that fall within that regime. Confirming whether your installation is in scope means checking the applicable activity class, capacity and the Best Available Techniques (BAT) requirements against current EPA guidance.
What an IPC licence means
IPC stands for Integrated Pollution Control. An IPC licence controls pollution from certain industrial activities listed in the First Schedule to the EPA Act 1992, as amended, where IPC rather than IE licensing applies. The EPA's IPC application guidance cites the Integrated Pollution Control Licensing Regulations 2013 (S.I. 283/2013), amended by S.I. 189/2020.
Where IPPC fits in
IPPC means Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control — a term you may still see in older licence records. The Industrial Emissions Directive replaced the earlier IPPC Directive. Current EPA guidance distinguishes IPC and Industrial Emissions licensing, so an old IPPC reference alone does not tell you which authorisation your site needs today.
How to work out which licence your site needs
Start with what your site actually does: the process, materials, capacity, emissions and location. Compare the activity with the relevant legislation and EPA guidance before starting any application. The sector name on your headed paper is not the test — two businesses in the same sector can need different authorisations because their activities and scale differ.
| Licence | Full name | Typically applies to |
|---|---|---|
| IE licence | Industrial Emissions | Industrial installations and certain waste activities subject to the Industrial Emissions regime |
| IPC licence | Integrated Pollution Control | Certain industrial activities in the First Schedule to the EPA Act where IPC applies |
| Waste licence | EPA authorisation for specified waste activities | Specified waste disposal and recovery activities — not every waste facility needs one |
For waste activities specifically, the EPA describes four possible authorisation outcomes: an exemption, a licence, a waste facility permit, or a certificate of registration. The correct route depends on the activity and the applicable rules, and the EPA and local authorities have different responsibilities.
Planning permission is not a substitute
Planning documentation forms part of the information considered in licensing applications, but planning permission does not replace the environmental authorisation a licensable activity needs. The two processes may need to be coordinated, so confirm the requirements for your project before operating.