(2004/C58E/166) WRITTENQUESTIONE-2284/03
byElspethAttwooll(ELDR)totheCommission
(9July2003)
Subject:Environmentalstandardsinaquaculture
DoestheCommissionintendtoproposeminimumenvironmentalstandardsforaquacultureintheEU?
Ifso,willthisbeaccompaniedbymeasurestoensurethatsuchrequirementsdonotplaceEUfishfarmersatacompetitivedisadvantagevis-à-visfishfarmersfromthirdcountries?
AnswergivenbyMrsWallströmonbehalfoftheCommission
(10September2003)
Aquacultureisalreadysubjecttoanumberofenvironmentalstandardsderivedfromtheapplicationof
generalenvironmentallaw.Forexample,theWaterFrameworkDirective(
1)providesageneralframework
fortheprotectionofinlandsurfacewaters,transitionalwaters,coastalwaterswhichisalsoapplicabletofishfarmslocatedinthesewaters.
Furthertotheseconditions,andasindicatedintheCommission’sCommunicationregarding‘Astrategyfor
thesustainabledevelopmentofaquaculture’(
2),theCommissionwillexaminewhethertoincludeintensive
fishfarmingintothescopeoftheIPPCDirective(3).Ifso,thiswillrequirethesettingofpermitconditions
forfishfarmsonthebasisofbestavailabletechniques(BAT).AproposaltoextendthescopeoftheIPPCDirectivewouldbesubjecttoanimpactassessmentaddressing,interalia,potentialcompetitivityconcerns.
Inaddition,andwithaviewtopreventingaccidentalintroductionsofnon-indigenousaquaticspecies,the
Commissionwillproposemanagementrulesthatareconsistentwiththe1995InternationalCouncilfortheExplorationoftheSea(ICES)CodeofPracticeontheIntroductionandTransferofMaríneOrganisms.
Asfarasaccompanyingmeasuresareconcerned,theFinancialInstrumentforFisheriesGuidance(FIFG)
establishedbyRegulation2792/1999(
4)foresees(AnnexIII,2.2(d))atreatmentoffavourforinvestments
thatreduceenvironmentalimpactbyreducingtherequiredcontributionofprivatebeneficiariesto30%of
eligibleexpenditureinObjective1regionsand50%inotherareas,insteadof40%and60%respectively.
(1) Directive 2000/60/ECoftheParliamentandoftheCouncilof23October2000establishingaframeworkfor
Communityactioninthefieldofwaterpolicy,OJL327,22.12.2000.
(2) COM(2002)511final.
(3) Council Directive 96/61/EC of 24September 1996 concerning integrated pollution prevention and control,
OJL257,10.10.1996.
(4) CouncilRegulation(EC)No2792/1999of17December1999layingdownthedetailedrulesandarrangements
regardingCommunitystructuralassistanceinthefisheriessector,OJL337,30.12.1999.
(2004/C58E/167) WRITTENQUESTIONP-2285/03
byCarlosBautistaOjeda(Verts/ALE)totheCommission
(7July2003)
Subject:CounterproductivecampaignbytheMálagamunicipalauthority
Acampaigntoraisepublicawarenessastotheneedtorecyclehouseholdwaste,unveiledinearlyMarch
2003bytheenvironmentalservicesunitoftheMálagamunicipalauthority,hasprovokedfiercecriticismfromenvironmentalandconservationistgroups.Thesloganchosenforthecampaignis:‘Re-useisathingofthepast.Recyclingisthefuture’.C58E/154 EN6.3.2004 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion
The campaign seeks to encourage Málaga’s citizens not to re-use objects but to discard them for
subsequent recycling. In doing soit contradicts basic environmental principles and Directive 91/156/EEC(
1)(whichrequiresinstitutionsfirstlytopreventwasteproduction,secondlytoencouragere-use,and
thirdlytorecyclewaste,inthatorder).
IstheCommissionawareoftheaforementionedcampaign?Willitsaywhetherornotthecampaignhas
beenfinancedfromtheCohesionFund?Ifso,whatmeasuresdoesitintendtotakeinthisregard?
Does it believe that this campaign may give rise to misleading information and undermine the
environmentallyfriendlypracticesoftheverycitizensitistargeting?
(1) OJL78,26.3.1991,p.32.
AnswergivenbyMrsWallströmonbehalfoftheCommission
(10September2003)
ThetoppriorityofCommunitywastepolicyistopreventwaste.Accordingly,re-useofproductsoughtto
beencouragedwhereverpossible.Wherewasteisneverthelessproduced,preferenceshouldgotorecovery,notablyrecycling.
Wastemanagementandprocessingprojectsco-financedbytheERDFortheCohesionFundofteninclude
awarenesscampaigns,thoughthisdoesnotmeanthattheCommissionisfullyfamiliarwiththecontentsthereof.
TheawarenesscampaignatissueherewasfundedbytheCohesionFund(ERDF).Atitsrequest,theSpanishauthoritiessenttheCommissionareportonthecampaign,whichincludedthe
followinginformation:
Thegeneralideaofthecampaignwastomovegraduallytowardstheintegratedmanagementofsolid
wastebyaccordingpriorityto:
/dash tryingtoreducethequantityofwaste;/dash re-utilisingasmuchwasteaspossiblewherethequantitycannotbereduced;/dash inadditiontotheprevioustwophases,recyclingwastewhichcannotbere-used.
Thecampaignwasintendedtoraisepublicawarenessoftheimportanceofrecyclingwastebyseparatingit
and using containers properly, and to inform and educate the population regarding separate wastecollection,interaliabyexplainingitsimpactontheenvironment.
Lastly,thecampaignsloganwasnotintendedtopromoterecyclingattheexpenseofre-use,butsimplyto
informthepublicabouttheuseofdifferentcontainersforseparatewastecollection.
(2004/C58E/168) WRITTENQUESTIONP-2299/03
byMechtildRothe(PSE)totheCommission
(7July2003)
Subject:Objectivesforenergyfromrenewablesourcesupto2020
TheEuropeanUnionfirstcommitteditselfin1998inaWhitePapertoa‘CommunityStrategyandAction
Plan’todoubletheproportionofrenewablesintotalenergyconsumptionby2010.6.3.2004EN C58E/155 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion