WRITTEN QUESTION E-0408/98

by Elisabeth Schroedter (V) to the Commission

(24 February 1998)

Subject: Municipal solid waste (MSW)

- Pursuant to Article 7 of Framework Directive 75/442/EEC(1) on waste, Member States are required to draw up waste plans, and, in the Autonomous Community of Galicia, responsibility for waste management was transferred to the Galician regional government (Xunta).

- In 1992, the regional government drew up a waste plan providing for the construction of an MSW transfer station in Vigo as part of an extensive network feeding the landfill site at Cerceda (province of La Coruña).

- In January 1997, it decided to move the Vigo transfer station, the only installation provided for by the 1992 plan that was operational, and which was built using ERDF funds, to the small municipality of Villaboa.

- In June 1997, it submitted to the EU an MSW management plan which does not correspond to any legislation adopted by the Galician government or parliament and differs from the 1992 plan, providing for the incineration of all waste and envisaging the building of two incinerators. It also differs from the plan on which the Galician environment committee gave its opinion, as the Villaboa transfer station is now to replace the one at Vigo. It did not feature in the plan on which the aforementioned committee gave its opinion because this decision had not yet been taken.

- In September 1997, the Galician government passed Law 10/97 on MSW, which, in its second transitional provision, lays down that the Galician MSW management plan in force until the submission of the next one, the date of entry into force of which had passed, is the 1992 plan.

- Also in September 1997, people living near the Villaboa site submitted a complaint to the European Commission, which has resulted in an inquiry, currently in progress, concerning the circumstances outlined above. They also criticize the plan, managed by the Sogama company, for encouraging waste production and discouraging waste reduction.

In view of this, is the Commission aware that the government of Galicia has wasted EU funds on building a facility which is now going to be dismantled? What progress has been made in dealing with the complaint filed by those living near to the Villaboa site? Does the Commission intend to subsidize the Galician government's MSW management project, which is based on incineration and thus encourages waste production and discourages waste reduction and does not provide any administrative or legislative certainty, since it was meant to have been passed by the regional government in December 1997, but was not?

Answer given by Mrs Wulf-Mathies on behalf of the Commission

(20 April 1998)

It should be noted that construction of the solid urban waste transfer station in Vigo was not part-financed by Community funds.

However, in June 1997 the Spanish authorities submitted a plan for the management of waste in Galicia to the Commission for part-financing by the Cohesion Fund (not by the European Regional Development Fund).

The Commission is currently carrying out a detailed evaluation of the project, with technical support from outside experts. A decision to provide part-financing could be taken only if this project complies with all Community policies, including that on the environment.

As part of its consideration of the complaint it received, the Commission has asked the Spanish authorities for more information. It will keep the complainants informed of developments in this matter.

(1) OJ L 194, 25.7.1975, p. 39.