WRITTEN QUESTION E-0451/01

by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(19 February 2001)

Subject: Management of toxic waste in Greece

Article 6 of Directive 91/689/EEC(1) on hazardous waste provides that the competent authorities shall draw up plans for the management of such waste. Furthermore, Article 4(2) of this Directive requires the producers of hazardous waste and the establishments and undertakings transporting such waste to keep records. Article 2 (2) of the same Directive provides that special records must also be kept concerning the disposal of hazardous waste in tips.

According to the Commission's report on the implementation of Directive 91/689/EEC, Greece has failed to draw up a management plan and does not keep records. Furthermore, there is neither a centre for processing waste nor a special transit area in ports. As a result of all this, the environment in Greece is being ruined by toxic waste which is processed and stored without any controls.

Will the Commission comment on the situation described above? What measures does it intend to take to address this situation?

(1) OJ L 377, 31.12.1991, p. 20.

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(27 April 2001)

As Greece has failed to comply with waste management planning requirements of Council Directives 75/442/EEC of 15 July 1975 on waste(1), 91/689/EEC of 12 December 1991 on hazardous waste and Parliament and Council Directive 94/62/EC of 20 December 1994 on packaging and packaging waste(2), the Commission brought the case before the Court of Justice on 7 April 2000 (case C-2000/132). In June 2000 Greece notified to the Commission the Ministerial Decision 14312/1302 as a formal adoption of national waste management plan. The analysis of the text is underway.

In addition, the Commission brought Greece before the Court of Justice on 24 January 2001 (case C-33/01) for failure, by virtue of the Article 8.3 of the Directive 91/689/EEC, to submit information concerning the establishment or undertaking which carries out disposal and or recovery of hazardous waste.

As concerns the implementation of waste management Directives, Greece did not sent any report between 1989 and 1997(3). However, in November 1999, Greece answered to four questionnaries regarding the implementation of four Community waste directives.

Regarding the specific requirements laid down in Article 2.1 (record for disposal of hazardous waste) and Article 4.2 (record of hazardous waste producers and of establishment and undertakings transporting hazardous waste) of Directive 91/689/EEC on hazardous waste, the Greek authorities have informed the Commission that measures have been taken to comply with these requirements.

The answers of the Greek authorities during the reporting exercise are rather succinct and do not allow the Commission to obtain a general picture of hazardous waste management practice in Greece. According to that answer 280 000 tons of hazardous waste were generated in Greece (the year is not indicated), out of which 95 760 tons were recycled, though Greece indicated that it has no installation for the processing or disposal of hazardous waste. The hazardous wastes are reported to be either temporarily stored or exported for final disposal in other countries.

As the Commission does not dispose of means to inspect Greek waste management facilities or otherwise to verify the above-mentioned figures, it has no general information on cases of environmental pollution which are due to faulty management of hazardous waste.

(1) OJ L 194, 25.7.1975.

(2) OJ L 365, 31.12.1994.

(3) COM(97) 23 final and COM(1999) 752 final.