WRITTEN QUESTION E-0315/01 by Daniel Hannan (PPE-DE) to the Council. Working Party on Education and the Euro.
Date: 2001-02-14
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: euro, public awareness campaign

C 261 E/86

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

18.9.2001

and origin of waste, general technical requirements, any special arrangements for particular wastes and
suitable disposal sites or installations.

According to the information made available to the Commission, the Campania region adopted a new
waste management plan in the year 1997. An objective of 35 % separate collection to be achieved by 1999
was set, but apparently this was not achieved. The Commission is very concerned about this situation.

Aside from proposing legislative measures, the Commission has taken several measures to raise awareness
and exchanges of good practice. In the framework of the LIFE Programme, innovative projects for the
improvement of separate collection and recycling of waste can be funded. Several specific workshops in
order to exchange information on best practices were organized, including a workshop in Sorrento in
1996 dedicated mostly to the situation in Campania. The Commission published a manual on good
practices in the field of separate collection and composting (3), destined especially for the south of Europe,
where composting has very high potentials. In this context, a very useful manual has also been produced
by the Italian National Agency for the Protection of the Environment (4).

Separate collection is required at present for waste oils according to Council Directive 75/439/EEC of
16 June 1975 on the disposal of waste oils (5), for packaging waste to the extent that the targets of
Directive 94/62/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of 20 December 1994, on packaging and
packaging waste (6) are to be achieved and for batteries covered by Council Directive 91/157/EEC of
18 March 1991, on batteries and accumulators containing certain dangerous substances (7). Separate
collection is also one of the objectives of the Commission proposal for waste from electrical and electronic
equipment (8) as well as of the initiative, currently under preparation by the Commission, on biodegradable
waste.

The lack of separate collection schemes for packaging, oils and batteries may therefore lead to obligations
of Community legislation not being complied with.

Community legislation requires Member States to designate competent authorities for the implementation
of its provisions. It is however up to the Member States to decide how to organise this. Therefore the
Commission is not competent for taking a position on the allocation of competences within Member
States.

Community legislation gives Member States the instruments to tackle the problem of illegal treatment of
waste. It is however necessary that Member States implement the legislation not only by transposing it into
national legislation but also by strictly monitoring its application in practice.

(1) OJ L 194, 25.7.1975.
(2) OJ L 78, 26.3.1991.
(3) Commissione europea, Esempi di successo sul compostaggio e la raccolta differenziata, 2000.
(4) ANPA: La raccolta differenziata, aspetti progettuali e gestionali, 1999.
(5) OJ L 194, 25.7.1975.
(6) OJ L 365, 31.12.1994.
(7) OJ L 78, 26.3.1991.
(8) OJ C 365 E, 19.12.2000.

(2001/C 261 E/090)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0315/01

by Daniel Hannan (PPE-DE) to the Council

(14 February 2001)

Subject: Working Party on Education and the Euro

When did the Working Party on Education and the Euro last meet? When will it next meet? What has
been (a) its purpose, (b) on its agenda since it first met?

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Official Journal of the European Communities

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Reply

(31 May 2001)

Since the Working Party in question was set up in 1998 on the initiative of the then Directorate General
XXII of the European Commission (now DG (cid:145)Education and Culture(cid:146)) the Honourable Member is advised to
address his question to the Commission.

(2001/C 261 E/091)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0316/01

by Andrew Duff (ELDR) to the Commission

(13 February 2001)

Subject: The single market

Some of my constituents have been experiencing problems in using payment cards outside the UK,
apparently because different systems are in use across the Union.

Is the Commission satisfied with the norms that exist for electronic payment cards? Do different systems
exist within the Union? Is the Commission satisfied that those different systems are truly compatible?

Answer given by Mr Bolkestein on behalf of the Commission

(30 March 2001)

In each of the Member States there is a variety of payment cards in use. The payment industry has
answered to the needs of the market in very different ways. Some payment cards can be used only
domestically, others internationally.

With regard to those destined for international use (e.g. MasterCard, Eurocard, Visa, Amex, Diners (cid:133)) they
are generally accepted where their label is displayed. Whether or not to accept such cards is a decision for
the merchant and the merchant(cid:146)s bank. Although some of the international cards are widely accepted,
there is no obligation to do so.

The Commission is aware of the existence of different electronic payment card systems and initiatives have
been taken in order to improve the situation. The objective is to reach an adequate level of interoperability
between different electronic payment systems.

It should be noted that standardisation is a voluntary and market-led process. Thus, the use of common
standards and specifications strongly depends on the willingness of the different market players to co-
operate in this domain.

The Commission is promoting payment systems interoperability in different ways:

(cid:129) by supporting standardisation initiatives or similar developments (eEurope smart card charter),

(cid:129) by funding research projects e.g. cross-border electronic purse,

(cid:129) by urging the banking industry to develop a single payment area (Communication on retail payment

in the internal market (1)).

(1) COM(2000) 36 final.