WRITTEN QUESTION E-0499/02 by Eija-Riitta Korhola (PPE-DE) to the Commission. The volume of investment required by the Kyoto Protocol.
Date: 2002-02-22
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU environmental policy, business policy, dissemination of EU information, environmental monitoring, environmental protection, information, investment policy, reduction of gas emissions

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STECF nowhere proposes a total authorised catch (TAC) of 35 000 tonnes for 2002. The only definitive
reference by STECF to a possible TAC for 2002 states that ‘from the economic point of view, the TAC
level should be maintained at the 2001 level …’. The Commission maintains that, according to the analysis
of International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES), the stock is outside safe biological limits and
is threatened with collapse. Against this background, the Council decided upon a TAC of 26 960 tonnes
for 2002 whereas the TAC for 2001 was 22 623 tonnes.

While the Commission has not defined a period for the recovery plan, the Commission has always been
clear that, under the plan as proposed, recovery is expected to be achieved after seven-eight years.

The measures proposed for hake and for cod are identical in principle but are different in detail and take
into account,
the
Commission proposal aims at a 30 % increase in quantities of mature fish from year to year whereas for
hake the intention is to achieve a 15 % increase.

levels of exploitation of these stocks. For cod,

the different recent

in particular,

The Commission is unaware of any refutation of the current critical state of the hake stock. Any scientific
evidence that is relevant to the evaluation of this stock will, however, be taken into account by ICES in its
2002 assessment of the stock, which has been brought forward to its May meeting.

The Commission is aware of the situation with hake in areas VIII and VII and as a result of these
differences has advocated allocation of a larger part of the overall TAC to area VII than would otherwise
have been the case. Council agreed to this approach.

The Commission has not considered submitting a new proposal.

(2002/C 172 E/217)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0499/02

by Eija-Riitta Korhola (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(22 February 2002)

Subject: The volume of investment required by the Kyoto Protocol

On Wednesday, 23 January 2002, the Environment Committee tabled the following question to the
Commission: ‘What information does the Commission have concerning which investments are planned
within the European Union countries and also accession countries between now and 2010 to enable them
to meet their Kyoto commitments?’ The reply which the committee received made it clear that the
Commission did not know anything about the matter.

Has the Commission received any information about it from the Member States since then? Does the
Commission consider it necessary to make inquiries about the issue?

Would it be desirable to carry out a survey of the climate for investment by businesses and their
investment plans in the light of the Kyoto commitments, using uniform questionnaires in the EU and the
candidate countries, in order to ascertain how and in accordance with what timetable the Community’s
obligations are being complied with by businesses?

Is it necessary to publish the data thus gathered and the Commission’s assessments of the cost implications
of the Kyoto commitments in the EU and candidate countries? Is such information needed, for example, as
a basis for taking decisions on important legislative instruments relating to climate change?

Does the Commission consider it necessary to coordinate Member States’ actions in order to create a
positive atmosphere,
joint declarations and other measures, which will give
businesses the confidence to make long-term investments to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions?

inter alia by means of

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Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(12 April 2002)

In its reply to an Oral Question in the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Policy
in January 2002, the Commission explained that it has general information about policies and measures
planned or implemented by Member States rather
than specific information about private sector
investments.

the burden sharing targets is entirely the responsibility of

Fulfillment of
the Member States. The
Commission assists Member States by proposing common measures to be implemented across the
Community. It does not possess company-specific information about investment plans as it is not given a
mandate to do so. It does not collect such company-level information for any other Community policy.

The most up-to-date information is contained in the latest report produced in the context of
greenhouse
22 November 2001.

gas monitoring mechanism (1)

the
Parliament on

been forwarded

and has

to the

The Commission does not consider it necessary to make inquiries and requests beyond the current
obligations Member States have to fulfill under the monitoring mechanism Decision (2).

The monitoring mechanism and information furnished by Member States in this context allows the
Commission to continuously monitor the progress of Member States towards the Community Kyoto
commitment. Once candidate countries are members of the Union the same reporting obligations will
apply to them. The Commission does not consider it desirable to survey the climate for business
investment and actual
investment plans. Investment plans are commercially sensitive information for
companies. Furthermore, at this stage the Kyoto commitments do not apply directly to businesses but
rather to Member States and it is for each Member State to ascertain how business and other sectors
comply with the obligations arising from the Kyoto Protocol.

In line with the negative response to surveying businesses the Commission has nothing to add on the
question about publication of any collected data.

As far as costs are concerned B in contrast to investments B the Commission has undertaken several
studies to estimate costs for complying with the Kyoto commitments. The most comprehensive one is the
study titled ‘Economic Evaluation of Sectoral Emission Reduction Objectives for Climate Change’. The
study is available on the Directorate General Environment climate web-site (3).

The major conclusions of the study are:

B under a least-cost approach, some sectors would need to reduce their emissions more than others, but
the Union’s total compliance costs could be as low as € 3,7 billion per annum, being 0,06 % of the
Union’s gross domestic product (GDP) in 2010;

B the Union would reach the Kyoto target if it implemented greenhouse gas reduction measures that

cost less than € 20 per tonne of carbondioxide (CO2) equivalent.

The Commission is interested in creating and maintaining a predictable environment for long-term
investments to reduce greenhouse gases. In this regard it has actively supported the Union’s stance to
pursue the path of multilateral policies to combat climate change after the withdrawal from the Kyoto
Protocol announced by US President Bush in March 2001. It welcomes also the ratification of the Kyoto
Protocol by the Council as decided on 4 March 2002. The speedy decision on some Commission proposals
by Council and Parliament does play an important role in meeting the EU’s commitments under the Kyoto
Protocol. In particular, the adoption of a proposal for an Union-wide greenhouse gas emission trading
scheme will send an important signal and boost business confidence to invest
in greenhouse gas
reductions. The environment for business investments is further improved for example with the already

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adopted Directive (4) on electricity from renewable energy sources and the proposed Directive (5) on energy
efficiency in buildings.

(1) Report under Council Decision 93/389/EEC as amended by Decision 1999/296/EC for a monitoring mechanism of

Community greenhouse gas emissions, COM(2001) 708 final.

(2) Council Decision 1999/296/EC of 26 April 1999 amending Decision 93/389/EEC for a monitoring mechanism of

Community CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions, OJ L 117, 5.5.1999.

(3) http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/enveco/climate_change/sectoral_objectives.htm.
(4) Directive 2001/77/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of 27 September 2001 on the promotion of electricity

produced from renewable energy sources in the internal electricity market.

(5) Directive proposal on the energy performance of buildings, OJ C 213 E, 31.7.2001.

(2002/C 172 E/218)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0508/02

by Pietro-Paolo Mennea (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(19 February 2002)

Subject: Waste disposal site in Trani

According to reports in the local and national press and the views expressed by a very large number of
local inhabitants, who are extremely alarmed about the situation, the new waste disposal site in Trani
presents a real threat to the environment.

Is the Commission aware of this situation?

Can it say whether all the relevant permits were granted in accordance with all the environmental
protection directives adopted by the European Union?

Can it say whether the operation of this waste disposal site could in future give rise to the risk of fires,
contamination of the groundwater table and the formation of biogases, thus endangering the health of
local inhabitants?

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(13 March 2002)

The treatment of waste is regulated at Community level by Council Directive 75/442/EEC of 15 July
1975 (1) as amended by Council Directive 91/156/EEC of 18 March 1991 on waste (2), in particular its
Article 4, which states that waste must be disposed of or recovered without endangering human health or
the environment.

Since 16 July 2001 new landfills have to fulfil the requirements of Council Directive 1999/31/EC of
26 April 1999 on the landfill of waste (3).

In addition, for landfills receiving more than 10 tonnes per day or with a total capacity exceeding 25 000
tonnes, excluding landfills for inert waste, the provisions of Council Directive 96/61/EC of 24 September
1996 concerning integrated pollution prevention and control (IPPC) (4) must be applied.

Depending on the type of the landfill and the possible effects on the environment an impact assessment
according to Council Directive 97/11/EC of 3 March 1997 (5) amending Council Directive 85/337/EEC of
27 June 1985 (6) on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment
could be required.

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 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.