Seveso II Directive

The Seveso directives are European Union directives that require E.U. member states to identify industrial sites that pose major-accident hazards. The directives also require member states to ensure that hazard analyses are conducted, prevention policies and emergency plans are implemented, local residents are sufficiently informed and a competent authority is set up to perform site inspections. After Seveso I in 1982 and Seveso II in 1999, Seveso III, an even more stringent directive published in 2012, will take effect on June 1, 2015.