WRITTEN QUESTION E-0255/02 by Chris Davies (ELDR) to the Commission. Disposal of fridges — EC Regulation 2037/2000.
Date: 2002-02-07
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU Member State, application of EU law, chemical product, household electrical appliance, stratospheric pollutant, waste management

C 172 E/168

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

18.7.2002

What the questioner wanted and still wants to know is: between January and December 2001 how much
European funding (in euro) was spent or allocated to the Palestinian Authority, under what heading
(budget item and project title), to what entity it was paid (if other than the Palestinian Authority), what
funding was subjected to controls and checks by what entity and what the results were?

(1) See page 44.

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(11 April 2002)

In view of the length of its answer, the Commission is sending it direct to the Honourable Member and to
Parliament’s Secretariat.

(2002/C 172 E/176)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0255/02

by Chris Davies (ELDR) to the Commission

(7 February 2002)

Subject: Disposal of fridges 2 EC Regulation 2037/2000

The United Kingdom is facing severe difficulties in implementing EC Regulation 2037/2000 (1) which
requires the recovery of CFCs and HCFCs from insulating foam in domestic refrigerators, because it does
not yet have a treatment plant in operation.

Is the Commission aware of other Member States facing similar problems, and did it receive, or has it
received, representations from other Member States about this issue?

(1) OJ L 244, 29.9.2000, p. 1.

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(14 March 2002)

The Commission conducted a survey of Member States
in February 2001 on the recovery of
chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) from domestic refrigerators. This, together with other information, shows
that a significant number of Member States 2 Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Austria, Finland and Sweden
2 already use commercial
including the
insulating foam. Currently, Austria has its refrigerators treated in another Member State and Luxembourg
relies on a mobile recovery facility that comes from Germany. Four other Member States 2 Belgium,
Denmark, Spain and the Netherlands 2 have indicated that they have some facilities for recovering the
CFCs from domestic refrigerators but they still have to provide the details. Overall it can be concluded that
the majority of Member States are not facing difficulties recovering CFCs from domestic refrigerators.

facilities for recovering CFCs from domestic refrigerators,

The remaining Member States 2 Greece, France, Ireland and Portugal 2 still have to provide information
on the systems that they have in place or their absence for recovering CFCs from domestic refrigerators.
Initial indications are that Greece, France, Ireland and Portugal 2 still have to put in place appropriate
commercial systems for recovering all the CFCs from domestic refrigerators and freezers. However, they
would still be in compliance with the Regulation mentioned by the Honourable Member if used domestic
refrigerators were stored until recycling and recovery facilities are put in place.

The Commission has recently contacted the Member States in order to update its information on CFC
recovery facilities for domestic refrigerators and freezers.