WRITTEN QUESTION E-2740/99 by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Elf-Atochem chemical plant in Boretto, Reggio Emilia (Emilia-Romagna, Italy).
Date: 2000-01-18
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Italy, air quality, chemical industry, degree of pollution, environmental protection, environmental standard, industrial building, industrial hazard, industrial pollution, occupational safety, pollution control measures, residential area, safety standard

C 330 E/44

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

21.11.2000

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

(22 February 2000)

The Commission is aware that many bird species, in particular birds of prey, are adversely affected by
poisoning. The Commission is also aware that this illegal practice, having ceased for a few years, has since
the 1990(cid:146)s returned.

Both Council Directive 79/409/EEC of 2 April 1979 on the conservation of wild birds and Council
Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora,
have been transposed correctly into Spanish law.

Furthermore, the Spanish authorities have the powers to take the necessary and appropriate measures to
avoid poisoning occurring.

However, the Commission would be interested in obtaining further information on the conclusions of the
Antidote programme mentioned by the Honourable Member. If necessary, the Commission will conduct an
legislation has been
investigation in order to assess whether the relevant Community environmental
complied with in this case. The Commission will not hesitate to take all the necessary steps, including
recourse to the procedure set out in Article 226 (ex Article 169) of the EC Treaty, to ensure full
compliance with this legislation.

(2000/C 330 E/049)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2740/99

by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(18 January 2000)

Subject: Elf-Atochem chemical plant in Boretto, Reggio Emilia (Emilia-Romagna, Italy)

The multinational firm Elf-Atochem owns and operates a chemical plant in the district of Boretto, in the
Emilia-Romagna region in Italy. In January 1998 a chemical accident occurred in the Elf-Atochem plant
and criminal charges have been brought against the lawyers representing the plant. Over recent years, the
local residents and workers at factories located near the Elf-Acothem plant have often complained to the
local and regional authorities about the discomfort and smells caused by the chemical substances emitted
by the plant. The chemicals used by Elf-Acothem and the proximity of the plant to residential areas are
said by local residents to cause discomfort and serious damage to health (the problem has also been looked
into by the Regional Environmental Protection Agency of the Emilia-Romagna region). On 6 December
1999 further complaints about discomfort in the area around the Elf-Atochem chemical plant were made.
Employees at the companies located in the surrounding area reported an obnoxious smell. The previous
week there had been similar reports of discomfort which led to the Regional Environmental Agency, the
district authorities in Boretto and the local police being alerted. The local fire service was also called to deal
with a tanker carrying chemical substances which had been involved in a road accident in the Boretto
district.

Does the Commission not consider that it should ask the Italian authorities to check whether or not the
Elf-Atochem plant in Boretto complies with the relevant EU legislation on environmental protection, safety
in the workplace, public health, and the use and emission of toxic substances?

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

(23 February 2000)

In the opinion of the Commission, based on the information given by the Honourable Member, the
situation to which he refers could fall within the scope of Council Directive 84/360/EEC of 28 June 1984
on the combating of air pollution from industrial plants (1),
if the installation could be considered a
chemical plant for the production of olefins, derivatives of olefins, monomers and polymers, or for the
manufacture of other organic intermediate products or of basic inorganic chemicals, and of Council
Directive 96/82/EC of 9 December 1996 on the control of major-accident hazards involving dangerous

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Official Journal of the European Communities

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substances (2), which has annulled Council Directive 82/501/EEC of 24 June 1982 on the major-accident
hazards of certain industrial activities (3),
if the installation concerned could be considered within the
definitions set out in Article 2 and 3 of Directive 96/82/EC.

Article 4 of Directive 84/360/EEC provides that in respect of installations in operation after 1 July 1987 or
built or authorized after that date, (cid:145)an authorization may be issued only when the competent authority is
satisfied that: (1) all appropriate preventive measures against air pollution have been taken, including the
application of the best available technology, provided that the application of such measures does not entail
excessive costs; (2) the use of plant will not cause significant air pollution particularly from the emission of
substances referred to in Annex II; (3) none of the emission limit values applicable will be exceeded; (4) all
the air quality limit values applicable will be taken into account(cid:146). Article 12 states: (cid:145)The Member States
shall follow developments as regards the best available technology and the environmental situation. In the
light of this examination they shall, if necessary, impose appropriate conditions on plants authorized in
accordance with this Directive, on the basis both of those developments and of the desirability of avoiding
excessive costs for the plants in question, having regard in particular to the economic situation of the
plants belonging to the category concerned.(cid:146)

Article 5 of Directive 96/82/EC, and previously Article 3 of Directive 82/501/EEC, obliges the operator to
take all measures necessary to prevent major accidents and to limit their consequences for man and the
environment. Article 14 of Directive 96/82/EC, and previously Article 10 of Directive 82/501/EEC,requires
the operator, as soon as practicable following a major accident, to inform the authorities and provide them
with information on the circumstances of the accident, the dangerous substances involved, the data
available for assessing the effects of the accident on man and the environment and the emergency
measures taken. In return, the authorities must ensure that any necessary remedial measures are taken by
the operator. Furthermore, they must collect all the information necessary for a full analysis of the
accident.

Not being aware of the situation described by the Honourable Member, the Commission will take the
appropriate steps in order to gather detailed information about it and to ensure the observance of
Community law.

Workers exposed to chemicals are covered by the measures provided by the Community legislation on
health and safety at work, such as Council Directives 80/1107/EEC (4), 89/391/EEC (5), 89/654/EEC (6),
89/655/EEC (6), 89/656/EEC (6), 90/394/EEC (7) and 98/24/EEC (8). Such directives lay down minimum
requirements under Article 137 of the EC Treaty (ex Article 118A) which are to be applied in the
workplace in order to ensure that all the necessary steps have been taken to prevent or adequately control
workers(cid:146) exposure to chemicals.

(1) OJ L 188, 16.7.1984.
(2) OJ L 10, 14.1.1997.
(3) OJ L 230, 5.8.1982.
(4) OJ L 327, 3.12.1980.
(5) OJ L 183, 29.6.1989.
(6) OJ L 393, 30.12.1989.
(7) OJ L 196, 26.7.1990.
(8) OJ L 131, 5.5.1998.

(2000/C 330 E/050)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2748/99

by GØrard Deprez (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(18 January 2000)

Subject: Common rules for a denied-boarding compensation system

Could the Commission provide information on the extent to which the provisions of Council Regulation
295/91 (1), establishing common rules for a denied-boarding compensation system in scheduled air
transport, have been implemented to date? Could it give the following specific information: