WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3297/97 by Nikitas KAKLAMANIS to the Commission. Attempts to circumvent environmental legislation in Greece
Date: 1997-10-20
Institutions: European Parliament, KAKLAMANIS
Subjects: EU law - national law, Greece, application of EU law, drafting of EU law, environmental law, environmental protection, national implementing measure, national law, organisation, protection of animals

C 187/4

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

16. 6. 98

The initial allocations are given in the CSF adopted on 13 July 1994, particularly on pages 32 (by sector) and
126-129 (by programme). This document is being transmitted directly to the Honourable Member and to the
Secretariat of Parliament.

In  the  mean  time,  adjustments  have  been  made  inside  many  of  the  operational  programmes  following  the
procedures  laid  down  by  the  Structural  Funds  regulations  and  the  CSF.  The  current  situation  regarding  the
take-up of appropriations by programme is shown in the table which is also being sent directly to the Honourable
Member and to Parliament(cid:146)s Secretariat.

The interim assessment currently underway and the mechanisms for amending operational programmes under
the CSF should to ensure that all the appropriations will be taken up before the end of the period, i.e. before
31 December 2001 for payments.

(98/C 187/04)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3264/97

by Mar(cid:14)·a Estevan Bolea (PPE) to the Commission

(20 October 1997)

Subject: Petroleum coke and cement works

Petroleum coke is the final waste product remaining after crude oil has been refined.

Does the Commission believe petroleum coke to be just a fuel or does it regard it as waste?

Should the cement works which burn petroleum coke be licensed in the same way as waste treatment plants?

Answer given by Mr Papoutsis on behalf of the Commission

(26 January 1998)

Petroleum  coke  does  not  presently  figure  on  the  list  of  waste  established  by  Commission  Decision  of
20 December 1993 (1) in application of the Article 1a of the Council Directive 75/442/EEC. However, petroleum
coke  is  listed  in  Commission  Regulation  No  1734/96  of  9  September  1996,  (Code  NC  2713)  on  tariff  and
statistical nomenclature.

The list of waste established under Directive 75/442/EEC is currently under review by the Member States, and
the question of whether petroleum coke should figure on it will be discussed in the near future.

(1)  OJ L 5, 7.1.1994.

(98/C 187/05)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3297/97

by Nikitas Kaklamanis (UPE) to the Commission

(20 October 1997)

Subject: Attempts to circumvent environmental legislation in Greece

The highly reputable Greek Ornithological Society recently announced that environmental legislation in Greece
› and by extension the protection of the natural environment in that country › was under attack because the
Greek Government was tabling a large number of amendments to various bills with the aim of (cid:145)loosening up(cid:146)
environmental provisions so as to overcome obstacles to the take-up of funds for major projects.

The same organisation states that (cid:145)the countdown for environmental legislation began with the abolition of the
publication  of  ministerial  decisions  approving  the  environmental  conditions  of  projects  of  major  economic
importance(cid:146).