WRITTEN QUESTION E-1272/01 by Salvador Garriga Polledo (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Non-compliance with Community legislation on waste water treatment.
Date: 2001-05-02
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU environmental policy, application of EU law, environmental law, wastewater, water treatment

11.12.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 350 E/107

With the entering into force of the provisions concerning livestock products Council Regulation (EC) No
1804/1999 of 19 July 1999 supplementing Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91 on organic production of
agricultural products and indications referring thereto on agricultural products and foodstuffs to include
livestock production (2), the Commission has to consider the possibility of having a harmonised list also for
additives to be used in foodstuffs composed of livestock ingredients. Presently in this sector only national
rules apply. As a first step, the Commission has tried to establish a compilation of all the substances
authorised in the 15 Member States in order to evaluate the actual situation in this field. As a second step
the Commission will propose a list of substances for specific use in food of livestock origin and discuss
this list with the Member States in the working group of the Standing Committee on Organic Farming.
The Commission(cid:146)s objective is to get a list of substances as short as possible but respecting the
particularities existing for traditional processing and preserving of organic meat or milk products in the
various Member States.

(1) OJ L 198, 22.7.1991.
(2) OJ L 222, 24.8.1999.

(2001/C 350 E/116)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1272/01

by Salvador Garriga Polledo (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(2 May 2001)

Subject: Non-compliance with Community legislation on waste water treatment

Ten years after the adoption of Community provisions on waste water treatment, some 37 towns and
cities of more than 150 000 inhabitants continue to release their waste water into the environment
without any treatment.

In addition to constituting a health hazard for the local population, this non-compliance sets a deplorable
example for candidate states wishing to join the European Union who themselves are criticised for not
harmonising their environmental legislation with that of the EU quickly enough.

Can the Commission say why it has not taken more resolute action to date against the offending parties
and what measures it now intends to adopt in order to force the latter to comply with EU provisions and
treat their waste water prior to disposal as provided for in said provisions.

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

(4 July 2001)

The Council Directive 91/271/EEC of 21 May 1991 concerning urban wastewater treatment (1) (hereafter
the urban waste water Directive) sets clear objectives in terms of deadlines and environmental objectives to
achieve:

(cid:129) designation by the end of 1993 of sensitive areas according to criteria set out in the Directive;

(cid:129) by the end of 1998, tertiary treatment for all agglomerations above 10 000 population equivalent

(p.e.) (2) in the catchment of such sensitive areas;

(cid:129) by the end of 2000, secondary treatment for all agglomerations above 15 000 population equivalents

in the catchment (cid:145)normal(cid:146) areas (i.e. such waters not identified as sensitive);

(cid:129) by the end of 2005, secondary treatment for all remaining agglomerations within the scope of the

Directive.

It is evident that most Member States have major shortcomings with regard to all these deadlines and with
the identification of sensitive areas.

C 350 E/108

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

11.12.2001

In the course of the last two years and on the basis of the information transmitted by the Member States,
the Commission has checked the degree of compliance with the first requirements of the Directive. It must
be noted that the Commission work has been slowed down, in some case substantially, by the delays with
which almost all Member States have provided information.

The Commission considers that, whilst considerable efforts have been made by certain Member States, the
implementation of the Urban Waste Water Directive is behind schedule and incomplete, with regard to
compliance with both the necessary treatment objectives and the deadlines fixed.

To achieve better implementation, the Commission will continue to monitor and help ensure compliance.
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.

(1) OJ L 135, 30.5.1991.
(2) Population equivalent means the organic biodegradable load having a five-day biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5)

of 60 g of oxygen per day.

(2001/C 350 E/117)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1273/01

by Jorge HernÆndez Mollar (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Pan-European immigration plan

(2 May 2001)

It is plainly evident that there is a need for common legal provisions to deal with the growing influx of
migrants to Europe so as to establish a balanced joint policy on migration.

Among the possible measures, consideration ought to be given to each Member State giving prior
notification to Brussels of their estimated annual intake of immigrants, including specific data regarding
total numbers, professional qualifications and intended occupation. This way, the Commission could draw
up a general plan for the intake of immigrants.

Given that some Member State governments have already entered into bilateral agreements with certain
third countries in this area, to what extent does the Commission feel that it could still promote a joint
agreement to draw up a common plan for the intake of immigrants to rationalise the flux of immigrants
entering all the Member States of the Union, making sure that the Union(cid:146)s needs in this respect are
provided for while avoiding uncontrolled immigration?

Answer given by Mr Vitorino on behalf of the Commission

(30 July 2001)

In its (cid:145)Communication on a Community Immigration Policy(cid:146) (1) of 22 November 2000, the Commission set
out its ideas for a new and comprehensive approach to the management of migration flows and in
particular for the development of a common policy on immigration. At the heart of this policy will be
a common legislative framework, the basis of which has already been agreed by the Member States
(Article 63 (ex Article 73k) of the EC Treaty). According to the detailed programme established during the
European Council in Tampere on 15/16 October 1999, and set out in the (cid:145)Scoreboard to review progress
on the creation of an area of (cid:147)Freedom, Security and Justice(cid:148) in the European Union(cid:146) (2), the Commission
has already made proposals in a number of areas which provide the first elements of this framework.
Member States will be responsible for the implementation of these legal instruments and for putting in
place national legislation as necessary. In order to ensure coherence, the Commission has also adopted
proposals for an open method of coordination for the Community Immigration Policy (3).

In the field of legal immigration, a number of proposals are being prepared by the Commission on the
admission of third country nationals including a draft Council Directive on admission for economic
purposes which was adopted by the Commission on 12 July 2001 (4). The intention is to provide for
common conditions for the admission and residence of workers from third countries which will inter alia