Under the Seveso Directive, EU Member States and EEA countries are required to inspect Seveso sites within a certain time period.  Inspection, and follow-up enforcement actions that might ensue, is one of the most powerful oversight mechanisms available to competent authorities.  The task of the inspector is to confirm that the site has demonstrated compliance with the Directive, in particular, the general obligation that the operator has taken "all necessary measures to prevent major accidents and to limit their consequences for human health and the environment".   The inspector must be convinced that the site operator understands the chemical hazards present on the site and their risk potential, that the operator has accordingly established appropriate control measures to prevent and mitigate potential accidents related to these hazards, and that the operator has a safety management system in place that ensures these control measures operate as intended and are improved over time based on new information resulting from change or feedback from the system.

It is without a doubt a challenging task.  More than 100 types of diverse industry activities falls under the Seveso Directive and the diversity and number of substances that represent a potential accident risk are higher still.  For this reason, for nearly two decades the EU Member States have provided strong support to an EU level technical exchange associated with Seveso inspection, managed by the JRC's Major Accident Hazards Bureau (MAHB).  MAHB runs two related activities supporting implementation of Seveso inspection obligations of Seveso implementing countries (which includes also EEA countries, Norway and Iceland).  These activities are the Technical Working Group on Seveso Inspections (so-called "TWG 2") and the Mutual Joint Visit Workshop Programme for Seveso Inspectors (the "MJV Programme"), that is managed by MAHB in consultation with TWG 2.  The exchange of information that takes place within these two activity spheres relates both to good inspection and enforcement practice as well as to good risk management practice that should be observed on Seveso sites. 

Seveso Inspection Publication Series
    Common Inspection Criteria
    MJV Short Reports on Good Inspections Practice

Mutual Joint Visit (MJV) Workshop Programme for Seveso Inspectors

TWG 2 Participants
TWG 2 Members Work Space (Members Only)

Annual Meetings

Annual Meeting 12-14 June 2024
Annual Meeting 7-9 June 2023
Annual Meeting 21-23 September 2022
Annual Meeting 29-30 September and 1 October 2021
Webinar on Seveso Enforcement and Site Risk Management during the Covid-19 Pandemic, 2021
Annual Meeting 25-27 September 2019
Annual Meeting 26-28 September 2018
Annual Meeting 17-19 May 2017
Annual meeting 11-13 May 2016
Annual Meeting - 24-26 April 2015

TWG 2 Meeting Tool Kit