WRITTEN QUESTION E-2564/98

by Irene Soltwedel-Schäfer (V) to the Commission

(1 September 1998)

Subject: Special category waste incineration plant in Biebesheim, Hesse, Germany

What is the situation in the various Member States of the EU regarding hazardous waste (special category waste) with respect to:

1. the amounts involved each year for the period 1993-1997?

2. existing or planned treatment and/or incineration capacities and landfill space?

3. free capacities in tonnes per year?

4. exports to other countries in tonnes per year?

5. imports from other countries in tonnes per year?

6. strategies to prevent or process waste (existing and/or planned)?

7. To what extent are there Commission directives, regulations or planned initiatives on avoiding special waste in Europe?

8. To what extent are there Commission directives, regulations or planned initiatives on recycling special waste in Europe?

Answer given by Mrs Bjerregaard on behalf of the Commission

(3 November 1998)

Statistics on the generation of hazardous waste and other waste, on landfills and incinerators in Member States as well as on imports and exports of hazardous waste are contained in "Europe's environment: the second assessment", by the European environment agency (1998). Data on free capacities for disposal are not available. Further data on the import and export of waste are contained in the annexes to the first report(1) on the implementation of Council Regulation (EEC) 259/93 on the supervision of shipments of waste into and out of the Community(2). These data were not published together with the report due to their volume but the Commission will be pleased to make them available upon request.

Directive 91/156/EEC of 18 March 1991 amending Directive 75/442/EEC on waste(3) states that Member States shall adopt measures to promote the prevention or reduction of waste production and its harmfulness (in particular by developing clean technologies and clean products) and the recovery of waste (particularly by means of re-use and recycling). This provision applies to all waste, and it is the responsibility of Member States authorities to put it into practice, through the adoption of waste management plans. In this context, the Commission would also refer to the implementation report of four waste directives published in 1997(4).

Concerning specific categories of hazardous waste, Directive 91/157/EEC as amended by Directive 93/86/EEC of 4 October 1993 on batteries and accumulators containing certain dangerous substances(5) contains measures which have an impact on waste prevention and recycling. Directives 96/59/EC of 16 September 1996 on the disposal of polychlorinated biphenyls and polychlorinated terphenyls (PCB/PCT)(6) and 75/439/EEC of 16 June 1975 on the disposal of waste oils(7) also affect the handling of hazardous waste.

The Commission has recognised, in its review of the Community strategy for waste management, that the Community achievements in the prevention of waste generation are not satisfactory. In order to reinforce the principle of waste prevention, particularly as regards hazardous waste, the Commission adopted a proposal for a directive on end of life vehicles(8) on 9 July 1997 with specific measures aimed at preventing waste generation and its harmfulness and at recycling this waste. Finally, a communication on the competitiveness of the recycling industry(9) was adopted on 23 July 1998. This aims at promoting recycling and improving the competitiveness of the recycling industry. The Commission proposes a wide range of essential actions, to be discussed within a recycling forum.

(1) COM(98) 475 final.

(2) OJ L 30, 6.2.1993.

(3) OJ L 78, 26.3.1991.

(4) COM(97) 23 final.

(5) OJ L 264, 23.10.1993.

(6) OJ L 243, 24.9.1996.

(7) OJ L 194, 25.7.1975.

(8) COM(97) 358 final.

(9) COM(98) 463 final.