WRITTEN QUESTION E-1706/01 by Laura González Álvarez (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Dumping of hazardous waste by the enterprise Española del Zinc S.A. (Cartagena, Spain).
Date: 2001-06-14
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU law, application of EU law, environmental law, environmental protection, hazardous waste, health risk, waste disposal

C 350 E/214

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

11.12.2001

(2001/C 350 E/238)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1706/01

by Laura GonzÆlez `lvarez (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(14 June 2001)

Subject: Dumping of hazardous waste by the enterprise Espaæola del Zinc S.A. (Cartagena, Spain)

The Spanish Naturalists(cid:146) Association of the South-East (ANSE) has denounced the presence of carcinogenic
products at the industrial waste dumping-ground of the enterprise Espaæola del Zinc S.A. (Cartagena,
Murcia province, Spain). The substances dumped include arsenic, chromium, nickel, lead and others.

Can the Commission ask for information as regards any measures guaranteeing that this dumping-ground
does not constitute a danger to public health or the environment and that the relevant Community
legislation is being correctly applied, with particular reference to Directive 75/442/EEC (1) on waste in
general and Directive 78/319/EEC (2) on the elimination of toxic and hazardous waste?

(1) OJ L 194, 25.7.1975, p. 39.
(2) OJ L 84, 31.3.1978, p. 43.

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

(25 July 2001)

The Commission was not aware of the situation reported by the Honourable Member.

The Commission has sent the Spanish authorities a request for information on the dumping-ground
mentioned in the Written Question in order to check that Community legislation is being correctly applied
in this instance.

As guardian of the Treaties, the Commission will take the necessary steps to ensure compliance with
Community legislation in this instance.

(2001/C 350 E/239)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1722/01

by Jonas Sj(cid:246)stedt (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(6 June 2001)

Subject: Error in the treatment of compensation payments for sheep farming

A sheep farmer in Vilhelmina, Northern Sweden, has been affected by a bureaucratic error concerning the
rejection of his claim for compensation payments and environmental aid for open arable land. On his
(cid:145)SAM(cid:146) form (a 17-page booklet) for 1999 he forgot to fill in a box requiring him to state how many head
of livestock he had. The other 147 box were correctly filled in. When the farmer rang the county council
to correct the mistake he was told it was too late. It is also relevant that on the same day the same sheep
farmer was granted EU aid for sheep farming (the (cid:145)ewe premium(cid:146)) by the same department of the same
authority. It should thus have been obvious that a mistake had been made. The same autumn in which the
application was made, two inspectors had also been at the farm on two occasions and had carried out
a number of checks and measurements on the sheep. The county council therefore knew how many sheep
the farmer had through their other checks. The county council(cid:146)s acknowledgement of receipt of the
application stated that the applicant would be contacted if anything was missing from the application, but
the county council did not do so in this case.

The farmer complained in the first instance to the Swedish Board of Agriculture, but this was inadmissible,
so the complaint was passed on to the county court. The farmer won his case there, but the county
council appealed and the matter is still pending at the administrative court of appeal in Sundsvall.

Can the Commission confirm that the Swedish authorities can and should grant the current aid, since this
was a small administrative error by the applicant and no real irregularity occurred?