WRITTEN QUESTION E-1511/99 by Mihail Papayannakis (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Creation of a landfill site at Komotini.
Date: 1999-09-01
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU environmental policy, Greece, Structural Funds, waste management

18.7.2000

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 203 E/5

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(8 November 1999)

Regulation (EC) 258/97 concerns the placing on the market within the Community of novel foods or
novel food ingredients.

In discussions with Member States and on the basis of information provided by them it has been
established that none of the products currently marketed under the trade name (cid:145)Benecol(cid:146) contain a novel
food ingredient since this was on the market to a significant degree before the entry into force of
Regulation (EC) 258/97. Hence the Regulation does not apply.

(2000/C 203 E/005)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1511/99

by Mihail Papayannakis (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

Subject: Creation of a landfill site at Komotini

(1 September 1999)

The Rodopi Regional Council has decided to cede an area of woodland in the Gratini-Stilario-Siderades
region to the municipality of Komotini to create a landfill site. Many of the local residents are protesting
against the decision on the grounds that the site is located among fields in which farmers grow tobacco
and because there are plans to build a reservoir in the area (cid:129) intended to boost the development of
agriculture and fish farming (cid:129) which would be jeopardised by the site. The project is also to receive
funding from Community resources and protesting residents have been told that the work must be
completed quickly if those resources are not to be lost.

The Commission:

(cid:129) is it aware of these facts and is it actually funding this project?

(cid:129) what is its view of the inconsistency between this project and the present and future development of

the region, which is, moreover, to be achieved by other projects funded by the Commission?

(cid:129) can it take practical steps to help find a more realistic solution to the present problem of waste in the

region, including recycling, which is a priority of Community policy?

Answer given by Mrs Wallstr(cid:246)m on behalf of the Commission

(19 October 1999)

There are no specific Community provisions on the siting of a landfill or, more generally, of a waste
treatment or disposal facility. The recently adopted Directive 1999/31/EC (1) on landfills provides for some
aspects to be taken into consideration as regards the siting of a landfill
(Annex I). However, these
provisions do not provide for any minimum distance from residential areas or any other similar
requirements.

Where a landfill is to contain hazardous waste, an environmental impact assessment is mandatory before
planning permission is granted (Directive 85/337/EEC (2), Annex I, No 9). In other cases, the Member
States may decide on such an environmental impact assessment.

The siting of landfills should be in accordance with the waste management plans, which Member States are
obliged to prepare under Article 7 of Directive 75/442/EEC on waste (3). So far, though, the Commission
has not yet been informed that a waste management plan for the Department of Rhodope has been
drawn up.

C 203 E/6

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

18.7.2000

is not currently covered by joint
The project at issue, on which work has apparently already begun,
financing under the European Regional Development Fund. Certain preparatory studies for that project
have, however, been jointly financed under the operational (cid:145)Environment(cid:146) programme for Greece covering
the period from 1994 to 1999.

As this is a matter for the Cohesion Fund the national authorities have officially lodged a request for joint
funding, which is currently under examination by the Commission.

(1) OJ L 182, 16.7.1999.
(2) OJ L 175, 5.7.1985.
(3) OJ L 194, 25.7.1975.

(2000/C 203 E/006)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1517/99

by Roberta Angelilli (NI) to the Commission

(1 September 1999)

Subject: Use of funds allocated to the areas affected by earthquakes in the Marche region and Fabriano

By means of Regional Council Decision No 988 of 26 April (which referred to Article 7 of Law 61/98)
the Marche region allocated part of the funds intended for the building of council houses and the
reconstruction of properties in the areas affected by an earthquake (including Campondonico, Belvedere,
Cupo and Vallina) to the erection of prefabricated dwellings to replace the containers in which many
homeless families have until now been accommodated. It should be noted that many of those families do
not want prefabricated dwellings to be built since they would be a waste of the money intended for the
reconstruction of the houses destroyed or damaged by the earthquake and would therefore delay those
people(cid:146)s return to normal life. Furthermore, even the people who have accepted such dwellings would
nonetheless have preferred to be given money so as to be able to begin reconstruction work.

Even the use of such funds for the building of council houses is no solution in the eyes of the inhabitants
of the areas affected by the earthquake, who would like to be able to return to their own houses as soon as
possible.

The Commission:

1. Does it not believe that the Italian Government(cid:146)s priority should be to enable the inhabitants of the
to squander the money available on

earthquake areas to rebuild their own houses and not
prefabricated dwellings which will eventually be dismantled anyway?

2. Does it not think that it should ask the relevant authorities for a proper account of the way in which
the EU funding allocated to the areas in question on the basis of specific Italian legal provisions has
been used?

3. Can it make a general comment on the matter?

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(29 October 1999)

By Commission Decision of 4 August 1998 amending the decision approving the single programming
document (SPD) for Community structural assistance in the Marche region under Objective 5(b), the
national authorities and the Commission drew up four new measures under the SPD to assist in the
reconstruction of the areas affected by the earthquake which took place in 1997.

The aim of the measure part-financed by the European Social Fund is to preserve, protect and harness the
potential of the human and professional capital of the whole of the area affected by the earthquake.