WRITTEN QUESTION No. 15/99 by Marie-Paule KESTELIJN-SIERENS to the Commission. Complaint concerning the Drogenbos incinerator
Date: 1999-01-12
Institutions: European Parliament, KESTELIJN-SIERENS
Subjects: Belgium, air quality, infringement of EU law, infringement procedure (EU), waste incineration

21.7.1999

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 207/167

(1999/C 207/232)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0015/99

by Marie-Paule Kestelijn-Sierens (ELDR) to the Commission

Subject: Complaint concerning the Drogenbos incinerator

(12 January 1999)

In its answer to my question (H-0968/98) (1) on the progress reached in the complaint concerning the planned
incinerator in Drogenbos, the Commission said on 17 November 1998 that it was examining the information
it had received from the Belgian authorities.

Can the Commission answer the following:

1. Has the examination now been completed? If so, with what result?

2. What is the link between this complaint and the infringement proceedings which the Commission
initiated in late December against Belgium concerning failure to transpose in full the directives on the
prevention (89/369/EEC) (2) and the reduction of air pollution from new municipal waste incineration
plants (89/429/EEC) (3)?

(1) Debates of the European Parliament (November 1998).
(2) OJ L 163, 14.6.1989, p. 32.
(3) OJ L 203, 15.7.1989, p. 50.

Answer given by Mrs Bjerregaard on behalf of the Commission

(11 February 1999)

Following the examination of the complaints about the incinerator referred to by the Honourable Member, the
Commission has decided to start infringement proceedings against Belgium pursuant to Article 169 of the EC
Treaty on account of a presumed infringement of Council Directive 85/337/EEC of 27 June 1985 on the
assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment (1).

There is no link between this case and the existing infringement proceedings against Belgium for failure to
transpose properly Council Directive 89/369/EEC of 8 June 1989 on the prevention of air pollution from new
municipal waste incineration plants (2) and Council Directive 89/429/EEC of 21 June 1989 on the reduction of
air pollution from existing municipal waste-incineration plants (3).

(1) OJ L 175, 5.7.1985.
(2) OJ L 163, 14.6.1989.
(3) OJ L 203, 15.7.1989.

(1999/C 207/233)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0016/99

by Konstantinos Hatzidakis (PPE) to the Commission

(12 January 1999)

Subject: Take-up of appropriations for data-processing and libraries at Greek schools

Sub-programme 1 ‘General and Technical Education’ of the Greek Operational Programme ‘Education and
Initial Vocational Training’ (EPEAK) includes actions 1.1b and 1.4c aimed at promoting data-processing at
Greek schools and actions 1.3c and 1.4b aimed at promoting libraries at Greek schools.

However, according to the summary information available to me, in November 1998 the take-up rate for
actions 1.4b and 1.4c was absolutely nil and virtually nil for action 1.3c; the take-up rate for action 1.1b can
also be described as virtually nil, except for the appropriations intended to fund the action in favour of books
and staff which seem to have already been completely taken up.