WRITTEN QUESTION P-0595/02 by Chris Davies (ELDR) to the Commission. Implementation of Regulation 2037/2000/EC: Substances depleting the ozone layer.
Date: 2002-02-27
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: application of EU law, environmental law, environmental protection, stratospheric pollutant, waste management

C 205 E/168

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

29.8.2002

(2002/C 205 E/179)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0595/02

by Chris Davies (ELDR) to the Commission

(27 February 2002)

Subject: Implementation of Regulation 2037/2000/EC: Substances depleting the ozone layer

listing EU Member State, by Member State on the
Can the Commission provide a status report,
implementation of Regulation 2037/2000/EC (1) with regard to the extraction and disposal of ozone-
depleting substances in refrigerating equipment, in particular those that have a comprehensive system to
extract CFC refrigerants from liquid coolants and which have set up systems to extract it from foam?

Which Member States at the end of February 2002 were still permitting used refrigerators to go to landfill
without any extraction taking place?

As it is clear that some Member States are still failing to take even the most basic measures to extract
CFCs, is the Commission satisfied with this and what action does it propose to take?

(1) OJ L 244, 24.9.2000, p. 1.

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(22 March 2002)

The Commission would like to refer the Honourable Member to the reply given to his written question
E-0255/02 (1). On the basis of information currently available to the Commission this reply gives details on
the status in individual Member State on the implementation of Regulation (EC) No 2037/2000 of the
Parliament and of the Council of 29 June 2000 on substances that deplete the ozone layer with regard to
the extraction and disposal of ozone-depleting substances in refrigerating equipment.

Under Article 16 of Regulation (EC) No 2037/2000, Member States have the responsibility to ensure the
recovery of controlled substances from used domestic refrigerators and freezers for destruction by
technologies approved by the Parties or by any other environmentally acceptable destruction technology.
The Commission does not have information on which Member States at the end of February 2002 were
still permitting used refrigerators to go to landfill without any extraction taking place. However, under
Regulation (EC) No 2037/2000 Member States should not allow controlled substances contained in used
refrigerators to go to landfill. The Commission’s general understanding is that most Member States are
recovering controlled substances such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
from the cooling circuits in
commercial and industrial
refrigeration equipment where there are well-established technologies.
Information on recovery practices of controlled substances from the cooling systems in domestic
refrigerators and freezers is more variable but it appears that a significant number of Member States are
engaged in recovery from such equipment.

As already indicated the technology for the recovery of controlled substances from the insulating foam in
refrigeration equipment while practicable is more recent. Six Member States = Germany,
Italy,
Luxembourg, Austria, Finland and Sweden = informed the Commission that they use commercial facilities
for recovering controlled substances from the insulating foam in domestic refrigerators and freezers. Four
other Member States = Belgium, Denmark, Spain and the Netherlands = have indicated that they have
some facilities for recovering controlled substances from domestic refrigerators and freezers, but they still
have to provide the details. The United Kingdom is storing used domestic refrigerators and freezers until
commercial facilities for recovery and destruction of controlled substances from the insulating foam are in
place. Other Member States still have to provide the information following several requests from the
Commission.

A clearer picture will emerge when all Member States have provided the information required under
Article 16(6). This requires Member States to report to the Commission on the systems in place for the
recovery and destruction of controlled substances by 31 December 2001. To date only two Member States
have reported. The Commission is currently in the process of seeking to establish a comprehensive

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Official Journal of the European Communities

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overview, based on information provided by the Member States, of the situation in the Community and in
each Member State. Evaluation of this information will put the Commission in a position to take the
necessary steps to ensure that all Member States comply fully with Regulation (EC) No 2037/2000.

(1) OJ C 172 E, 18.7.2002, p. 168.

(2002/C 205 E/180)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0596/02

by Hans Modrow (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

Subject: Use of unoccupied housing in border regions

(6 March 2002)

1.
There is a large number of unoccupied houses in many of the towns and municipalities on the EU’s
external border along the Oder and Niesse rivers. In Görlitz, on the German side, 25 % of housing is
unoccupied, while in Zgorzelec, on the Polish side, the number of empty dwellings is just as high. Would
the Commission have any misgivings about Germany providing housing for Polish citizens?

2. Would the Commission provide funding to support such a project in Görlitz and would it make the
necessary recommendations to the public authorities in the border regions as well as to the German and
Polish governments?

3.
Does the Commission think that similar projects could receive support in other border regions, for
example projects between Germany and the Czech Republic or between other Member States which share
a border with applicant countries?

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(16 April 2002)

The Commission would remind the Honourable Member that matters concerning the renting of housing
are governed by the private law of the Member States so that it has no standing on such questions.

The Structural Funds have no legal basis which would permit the Commission to support the provision of
housing in Germany for Polish citizens. Specifically, Article 2 of Regulation (EC) No 1783/1999 of the
European Parliament and of the Council on the European Regional Development Fund (1), which defines
the scope of this Fund, contains no provision for housing assistance.

the strand of

the Interreg III Community Initiative concerned with cross-border
However, under
cooperation,
the housing required for Polish nationals to participate effectively in projects being
implemented in Germany, such as training periods in firms or language courses, could be considered
eligible as part of a wider cooperation project. Such eligibility would naturally apply to all the frontier
regions of the Union.

(1) OJ L 213, 13.8.1999.

(2002/C 205 E/181)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0604/02

by Daniel Varela Suanzes-Carpegna (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Tuna steaks and Mexico

(6 March 2002)

On the basis of a study of the demand for tuna steak supplies which assessed the supply of tuna steaks to
the Community market in the short and medium term, the Commission decided to open an annual quota
of 4 000 tonnes at a 6 % preferential rate of duty for the period 2001 to 2003, within the COM in
fisheries and aquaculture products.