Seveso fund

The Seveso Directive was drawn up to prevent major accidents involving dangerous substances and to limit the consequences of such accidents for people and the environment.

To meet this objective, there are two funds:

• Fund for the prevention of major accidents, provided for in the budget of the Federal Public Service Employment, Labour and Social Dialogue 
• Fund for risks arising from major accidents, managed by the National Crisis Center

Operators of upper-tier establishments have to pay an annual fee to generate income for these two funds. The amount of this fee depends on the dangerous substances present in the company concerned. 

The fund for risks arising from major accidents pays:

• the costs of the external emergency planning for the upper-tier establishments, e.g. for drawing up external emergency plans and organising exercises. 
• the setting up of information campaigns
• the purchase and maintenance of specific intervention equipment
• specific projects or purchases relating to the management of the major accident hazard