WRITTEN QUESTION E-2515/00 by Theresa Villiers (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Household waste.
Date: 2000-08-02
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU environmental policy, domestic waste, public health

C 103 E/168

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

3.4.2001

Following the adoption of Council Directive 1999/74/EC (3) of 19 July 1999 laying down minimum
standards for the protection of laying hens, what plans does the Commission have to review Commission
Regulation (EEC) No 1274/91?

Does it intend to make the Special Marketing Term (SMT) (cid:145)Eggs from caged hens(cid:146) a mandatory term to
apply to eggs produced in cage systems as set out in Chapters II and III of Council Directive 1999/74/EC?
Does it intend to reduce the outdoor stocking density for hens which produce eggs marketed as (cid:145)free range
eggs(cid:146)?

(1) OJ L 121, 16.5.1991, p. 11.
(2) OJ L 173, 6.7.1990, p. 5.
(3) OJ L 203, 3.8.1999, p. 53.

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(28 September 2000)

As the Honourable Member may know the Commission in its communication on the protection of laying
hens (1) indicated its intention to propose, in addition to the proposal for minimum standards for the
protection of laying hens, the obligation to label each table egg indicating the type of farming.

On the other hand, when adopting the Council Directive 1999/74/EC of 19 July 1999 laying down
minimum standards for the protection on laying hens (2), the Council requested the Commission to submit
before 1 January 2002 a proposal adapting the marketing standards applicable to eggs taking into
consideration in particular the possibility of introducing compulsory labeling.

Concerning this possible modification, two steps must be followed for the adaptation of the marketing
standards. First, Council Regulation (EEC) No 1907/90 of 26 June 1990 on certain marketing standards for
eggs (3) must be amended in order to introduce compulsory labeling of the type of farming on eggs. The
Commission adopted on 6 September 2000 a proposal (4) to amend the Council Regulation in this respect.
Second, Commission Regulation (EEC) No 1274/91 of 15 May 1991 introducing detailed rules for
implementing Regulation (EEC) No 1907/90 on certain marketing standards for eggs (5) must be adapted
in order to lay down technical details like outdoor stocking densities. In this context, the Commission
consults all concerned, including consumers, producers, trade and manufacturers.

(1) COM(98) 135 final.
(2) OJ L 203, 3.8.1999.
(3) OJ L 173, 6.7.1990.
(4) COM(2000) 522.
(5) OJ L 121, 16.5.1991.

(2001/C 103 E/193)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2515/00

by Theresa Villiers (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(2 August 2000)

Subject: Household waste

Is the collection of household waste the subject of any EU directives, regulations or other laws? If so,
which ones?

Is the collection of the household waste the subject of any Commission communications, reports or
discussion documents?

Does the Commission have any view on the health implications of household waste collection?

3.4.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 103 E/169

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

(19 September 2000)

There are a number of Community directives which apply to household waste but there is no specific
directive on household waste management. According to the Community waste strategy (1) and Council
Directive 75/442/EEC of 15 July 1975 on waste (2), priority is given first to the prevention of waste
generation, then to the recovery of waste in its triple dimension (reuse, recycling and energy recovery) and
lastly to safe disposal (incineration without energy recovery and landfill).

Prevention of waste generation requires consumer information and change of consumption behaviour.
Where prevention meets the limits of today(cid:146)s life style, separate collection at source is inevitable to
optimise material recycling, which has, where environmentally sound, general preference over energy
recovery. For this purpose separate collection is specifically requested for packaging waste (3), waste oils (4),
and spent batteries (5) and it is proposed for electronic waste (6). Moreover, as organic waste in landfills has
to be reduced according to Council Directive 1999/31/EC of 26 April 1999 on the landfill of waste (7),
separate collection of biodegradable waste prior to composting or anaerobic digestion is a valid option. An
initiative on organic waste composting is under discussion.

The best way to deal with household waste apart from the provisions above, which include potential
health implications, depends very much on the local conditions and thus falls under the principle of
subsidiarity. The decision on the frequency of waste collection depends on the climate, waste containers in
place, the infrastructure, and waste treatment options which can not be regulated or recommended at a
European level.

(1) COM(96) 399 final.
(2) OJ L 194, 25.7.1975.
(3) Parliament and Council Directive 94/62/EC of 20 December 1994 on packaging and packaging waste (OJ L 365,

31.12.1994).

(4) Council Directive 75/439/EEC of 16 June 1975 on the disposal of waste oils (OJ L 194, 25.7.1975).
(5) Council Directive 91/157/EEC of 18 March 1991 on batteries and accumulators containing certain dangerous

substances (OJ L 78, 26.3.1991).

(6) COM(2000) 347.
(7) OJ L 182, 16.7.1999.

(2001/C 103 E/194)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2517/00

by Adriana Poli Bortone (UEN) and Sergio Berlato (UEN) to the Commission

Subject: Protection of pure olive oil

(2 August 2000)

Commissioner Fischler has admitted that the question on the search for an analytical method to ascertain
the presence of hazelnut oil in olive oil is a valid one.

Does the Commission therefore not consider that once such a method has been determined and
incorporated into Regulation (EEC) No 2568/91, its aim should be to safeguard the various types of pure
olive oil rather than to please the multinationals?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(28 September 2000)

A method of analysis is laid down in Community legislation only after it has been tested several times and
has been subject to many rigorous laboratory tests to analyse its level of precision.