WRITTEN QUESTION P-0907/02 by Luciana Sbarbati (ELDR) to the Commission. Regeneration of waste oils.
Date: 2002-03-25
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU law, animal nutrition, environmental protection, infringement of EU law, used oil, waste incineration, waste management, waste recycling

C 28 E/56

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

6.2.2003

In the framework of the revision of the Common Fisheries Policy (see the Green Paper on the future of the
common fisheries policy) (1) the Commission underlines the necessity to contribute to the improvement of
global governance in fisheries related matters through the effective implementation of
the current
international legal framework, the strengthening and promotion of regional cooperation mechanisms and
the development of a partnership approach with the developing countries.

With regard to the Honourable Member’s question concerning the type of approach to be chosen in order
to develop the fishery sector, it should be underlined that this falls under the competence of the Coastal
State.

(1) COM(2001) 135 final.

(2003/C 28 E/061)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0907/02

by Luciana Sbarbati (ELDR) to the Commission

(25 March 2002)

Subject: Regeneration of waste oils

Article 3(1) of Directive 75/439/EEC (1), as amended by Directive 87/101/EEC (2) and Directive 91/692/
EEC (3), states that ‘where technical, economic and organisational constraints so allow, Member States shall
take the measures necessary to give priority to the processing of waste oils by regeneration’.

In the spring of 2001 the Commission served notice on certain Member States (including France, Sweden,
Austria, Ireland, Denmark, Belgium, the Netherlands, the UK and Finland) for failure to ensure that waste
oil is regenerated rather than disposed of.

On the basis of the above, has the Directorate-General responsible for environmental matters prepared any
revision of the Community directives on waste oils with a view to ensuring that they are regenerated
primarily for conversion into lubricants?

In view of the need to ensure that hazardous waste is dealt with in a responsible fashion, what action has
the Commission taken in order to prevent any repetition of occurrences such as the release of dioxin-based
pollutants and the contamination of animal feed by oil?

(1) OJ L 194, 25.7.1975, p. 23.
(2) OJ L 42, 12.2.1987, p. 43.
(3) OJ L 377, 31.12.1991, p. 48.

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(22 April 2002)

As correctly pointed out by the Honourable Member,
the Commission has launched infringement
procedures against 13 Member States for failure to implement Article 3 of Directive 75/439/EEC (1) on the
disposal of waste oils which provides that the Member States shall give the priority to the regeneration of
waste oils. The intention of this action is to enforce an already existing obligation in Community
legislation.

The Commission has no intention to propose an immediate review of the above-mentioned Directive. The
Commission is, nevertheless, examining a recent study on EU waste oil collection and recovery which has
endorsed the case for regeneration of waste oils. Any future proposal to review the Directive would seek to
enhance incentives to regenerate such oils.

The existing Directive establishes the main obligations that have to be complied with to ensure the
collection and adequate disposal of waste oils in order to prevent their illegal dumping or inadequate
disposal. Indeed, the use of waste oils, as defined in the Waste Oil Directive (i.e. mineral waste oils), as
animal feed would be harmful for animal health. It would thus be in infringement of Article 4 of the
Framework Directive on waste which explicitly establishes that waste has to be disposed of or recovered
without risks to animals.

6.2.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 28 E/57

Regarding the emissions of dioxins due to the incineration of waste oils, the new Incineration Directive
2000/76/EC repeals the Annex of Directive 75/439/EEC as amended, and thus takes over the control of
the incineration of waste oils. The result has been tighter operating conditions for the incineration of waste
oils and the reduction of emission limit values for several pollutants including dioxins.

(1) OJ L 194, 25.7.1975, p. 23.

(2003/C 28 E/062)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0920/02

by Monica Frassoni (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(26 March 2002)

Subject: SIAs concerning trade agreements

its most recent meeting of 11 March 2002, the General Affairs Council adopted the following

At
conclusions:

… all new trade proposals will undergo sustainability impact assessments (SIAs) as agreed under the
EU sustainable development strategy last year. These will be done by external experts and made
public. Around 10 % of the EU trade directorate’s ‘available budget’ will be spent on SIAs in 2002.

It would be logical for these SIAs to be carried out on a regular (multiannual) basis and include all aspects
of sustainability, including gender aspects, in order to permit a review and, possibly, a reform of the
negative effects of trade agreements, to be determined at Joint Committee and Joint Council meetings.

How will the Commission ensure that this conclusion will apply to the agreement between the EU and
Chile, which is being negotiated, and does it envisage a suspension of the negotiation process between the
EU and Chile until the SIA is made?

Will the Commission make public the SIAs on the EU-Chile Agreement as well as on any imminent
agreements? How will MEPs be informed about the outcome of the SIAs?

Answer given by Mr Lamy on behalf of the Commission

(23 April 2002)

With regard to sustainability impact assessments (SIAs), the Commission would like to point out that the
methodological framework, established in 1999 and recently refined by a new study, takes equal account
of the three pillars of sustainable development (economic, social and environmental aspects). The impact of
agreements on gender inequality is obviously studied in the social sphere.

The programme launched by the Commission currently amounts to a total of EUR 2 750 000 in multi-
annual framework contracts:

(cid:1) a EUR 1 000 000 framework contract was signed with a consortium headed by IDPM Manchester at
the end of 2001; it concerns the SIA of the World Trade Organisation negotiations (maximum length
four years);

(cid:1) a EUR 250 000 framework contract was signed with a consortium headed by Planistat in March 2002;
this contract concerns the SIA of the EU-Mercosur and EU-Chile negotiations (maximum length four
years);