Minimum Criteria of Inspections: Planning and Reporting

Project description and aims

Background

IMPEL finalised the series of guidance on Minimum Criteria for Inspections, which gave the bases for the RMCEI regulation, and published a Reference Book for Environmental Inspection. The guidance includes the following documents:

• General Principles (Nov 1997)
• Frequency of Inspections (Dec 1998)
• Operator Self-Monitoring (Dec 1998)
• Planning and Reporting of Inspections (June 1999)

Project description

Inspecting authorities should prepare plans for inspection programmes. These should incorporate relevant goals of the particular authority and take account of several key elements such as industries to be inspected, resources available, time available for inspections, frequencies of routine inspections, reactive inspections and prioritisation.

Inspecting authorities should also prepare reports on inspection programmes for one or more target groups, such as the public or the legislator (for feedback to legislation). Several objectives of such reports are provided, which will vary depending on the target. Key elements of reports are proposed such as the number of inspections carried out, level of compliance and level of success in meeting the requirements of the plan.

A good practice would be to make plans and reports available to the public. Proposals are put forward regarding the accessibility and dissemination of plans and reports.