WRITTEN QUESTION E-0035/02 by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Construction of a landfill facility in Novellara (Reggio Emilia).
Date: 2002-01-23
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Emilia-Romagna, application of EU law, environmental protection, waste disposal, waste management

18.7.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 172 E/131

(2002/C 172 E/134)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0035/02

by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(23 January 2002)

Subject: Construction of a landfill facility in Novellara (Reggio Emilia)

In March 2001 an agreement on the relocation to Novellara of a category 2, type B landfill facility
(excluding hazardous waste) was signed by the Reggio Emilia provincial council, the Novellara local
council and the Unieco, Sabar and Agac companies.

This decision has been opposed by local
including
Legambiente, which has taken the matter to the regional administrative court, asking for the agreement
to be set aside.

residents and various environmental groups,

Can the Commission establish whether the relocation and construction of the above facility in Novellara
complies with all the relevant European environmental and public health laws?

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(7 March 2002)

The Commission has the task of ensuring the correct application of Community law, in the light of the
powers conferred on it by the EC Treaty. As the guardian of the EC Treaty, it does not hesitate to take all
necessary measures, including infringement procedures under Article 226 of the EC Treaty, in order to
ensure the observance of Community law.

In the specific situations pointed out by the Honourable Member, the Directive on environmental impact
assessment, Council Directive 85/337/EEC of 27 June 1985, on the assessment of the effects of certain
public and private projects on the environment (1) whether before or after being amended by Council
Directive 97/11/EC of 3 March 1997 (2) constitutes the possibly relevant Community law.

However, on the basis of the information given by the Honourable Member, due to a lack of grounds of
complaint on the application of Community law, no breach of it can be identified at present. Should the
Honourable Member provide detailed information enabling the Commission to assess the issues in relation
to the above mentioned directive, the Commission would also be able to investigate this matter.

(1) OJ L 175, 5.7.1985.
(2) OJ L 73, 14.3.1997.

(2002/C 172 E/135)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0036/02

by Luciano Caveri (ELDR) to the Commission

(23 January 2002)

Subject: Use of the term ‘mountain’ for agricultural products

Article 15 of Italian Law No 97 of 31 December 1994 laying down new provisions for mountain areas set
out a series of measures to enable the designation ‘Italian mountain product’ to be used for foodstuffs. This
law was subsequently repealed at the Commission’s behest, on the grounds that it ran counter to the PDO
and PGI systems established under Community law.

More recently, under Decree No 2000-1231 of 15 December 2000 France laid down rules governing the
use of the term ‘mountain’ for foodstuffs, subject to authorisation by the Commission.