WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2524/97 by Panayotis LAMBRIAS to the Commission. Introduction of the institution of environmental inspectors
Date: 1997-07-24
Institutions: European Parliament, LAMBRIAS
Subjects: EU environmental policy, EU law, environmental law, environmental monitoring, environmental protection, environmental standard

C 117/22

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

16. 4. 98

Supplementary answer
given by Mr Santer on behalf of the Commission

(24 November 1997)

In  view  of  the  length  of  its  answer,  the  Commission  is  sending  it  direct  to  the  Honourable  Member  and  to
Parliament(cid:146)s Secretariat.

(98/C 117/28)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2524/97

by Panayotis Lambrias (PPE) to the Commission

(24 July 1997)

Subject: Introduction of the institution of environmental inspectors

Following the amendment to Article 171 of the Treaty on European Union and the decision by the ECJ to begin
imposing  penalties  (OJ C 63, p. 2, 28.2.1997),  we  are  on  the  threshold  of  a  new  era  of  more  vigorous
implementation  of  Community  law.  Given  that  Community  environmental  law  has  developed  particularly
rapidly over the last twenty years and attracts lively interest among EU citizens and with a view to encouraging
and supporting attempts by the Member States to implement the legislation in question and to avoid onerous
fines  from  the  ECJ,  will  the  Commission  say  whether  it  intends  to  introduce  the  institution  of  Community
environmental inspectors, using as a model the arrangements obtaining in other sectors of Community policy?

Answer given by Mrs Bjerregaard on behalf of the Commission

(15 September 1997)

The Commission is fully conscious of the major role inspection bodies can play in the area of the environment. It
sees it as extremely important that the competent authorities in the various Member States fulfil their inspection
functions in such a way as to ensure the effective protection of the environment. It would draw the Honourable
Member(cid:146)s  attention,  in  this  context,  to  its  Communication  of  22  October  1996  on  the  implementation  of
Community  environmental  law (1),  in  which  it  stated  its  intention  to  adopt  recommendations  defining,
specifically, guidelines for environmental inspections. In this way it hopes to help reduce the great disparity in
this area between the situations currently obtaining in the various Member States.

The Council, in its Resolution of 19 June 1997, confirms the approach advocated by the Commission and calls on
the latter to draw up, on the basis of the work accomplished in the context of Impel (2), minimum criteria for
inspection missions carried out by Member States. The Commission is also called on to look at possible ways of
enabling Member States to ensure uniform application and implementation of Community environmental law.

(1)  COM(96) 500 final.
(2)  European Union Network for Implementation and Enforcement of Environmental Law.

(98/C 117/29)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2531/97

by Gunilla Carlsson (PPE) to the Commission

(24 July 1997)

Subject: Charges for the right to sell alcohol

Only  Systembolaget,  a  state-owned  company,  currently  has  the  right  to  sell  alcohol  to  the  general  public  in
Sweden. Private firms and importers may, however, obtain licences from the Alcohol Inspectorate to sell alcohol
to restaurants, or to Systembolaget.