WRITTEN QUESTION E-0984/02 by Cristiana Muscardini (UEN) to the Commission. Community directives on waste oils.
Date: 2002-04-15
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EC Directive, European Commission, amendment of a law, application of EU law, report, technological change, used oil, waste recycling

C 229 E/168

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

26.9.2002

(2002/C 229 E/194)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0962/02

by Gabriele Stauner (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(15 April 2002)

Subject: Possible cases of favouritism in connection with EU funds in Schwerin

In response to my Written Question E-2806/01 (1) the Commission informed me on 3 December 2001
that it had asked the Land Government in Schwerin by letter of 30 August 2001 for information in
connection with the accusations raised by the current affairs magazine Der Spiegel. The publication had
reported favouritism and irregularities in the award of contracts for the administration of EU funds, one
beneficiary of which was said to be the wife of the Deputy Prime Minister.

Has the Commission received a reply from Schwerin?

If so, will the Commission send me a copy of its correspondence with the Land Government?

(1) OJ C 134 E, 6.6.2002, p. 110.

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(31 May 2002)

By letter of 30 August 2001 to the European Social Fund (ESF) managing authority, the Commission
requested information about the award of contracts to BBJ Servis GmbH, Schwerin, in particular regarding
compliance with Community public procurement law. Furthermore, the Commission asked that managing
authority to send it such audit reports as might be produced relating to those contracts.

After several telephone reminders, the ESF managing authority confirmed in a letter of 4 December 2001
that investigations were being undertaken by the Landesrechnungshof (Court of Auditors) and promised
that they would send the first non-binding draft of the Landesrechnungshof’s report which was expected to
be produced by the second half of December 2001.

The ‘Unverbindlicher Entwurf’ (non-binding draft report) was finished by the Landesrechnungshof at the
end of January 2002 and was sent to the Ministry of Labour in early February 2002. This report and a
statement by the Ministry of Labour were discussed by the Ministry and the Landesrechnungshof on
26 February, as a result of which the Landesrechnungshof withdrew the report. The Landesrechnungshof
explained that this withdrawal was the result of additional information and new legal considerations which
had to be examined before redrafting and publishing the report.

To date the Landesrechnungshof has not yet published its final report.

(2002/C 229 E/195)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0984/02

by Cristiana Muscardini (UEN) to the Commission

(15 April 2002)

Subject: Community directives on waste oils

Article 3, paragraph 1 of Directive 75/439/EEC (1), amended by Directive 87/101/EEC (2) stipulates ‘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’. Unfortunately, this directive has
not yet been implemented by the Member States, who apparently do not ensure that waste oils are
regenerated rather than disposed of.

26.9.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 229 E/169

In view of this, can the Commission:

1.

2.

3.

supply information concerning to what extent the above-mentioned directive is currently being
implemented;

say whether it considers, in view of the consequences of such decisions for the environment and
public health, that more effective and targeted measures should be drawn up to promote regeneration
of waste oils rather than their disposal;

say whether it knows of any studies carried out into the regeneration of oils and its feasibility in terms
of cost-benefit, and if so, can it pass on the findings?

(1) OJ L 194, 25.7.1975, p. 23.
(2) OJ L 42, 12.2.1987, p. 43.

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(23 May 2002)

The Commission, pursuant to its obligations under Article 5 of Council Directive 91/692/EEC of
1.
23 December 1991, standardising and rationalising reports on the implementation of certain Directives
relating to the environment (1) (among them Directive 75/439/EEC of 16 June 1975 on the disposal of
waste oils), is working on the Report from the Commission to the Parliament and the Council on the
implementation of different Directives on waste. The report will be based on information submitted by
it will
Member States through several questionnaires for the period 1998-2000. More specifically,
summarise the information pertaining to the current management of waste oils. Furthermore,
the
Commission has just finished a study on the disposal of waste oils that gathers information on current
practices in Member States. The study,
‘Critical review of existing studies and life cycle analysis on the
regeneration and incineration of waste oils’, can be downloaded from the Commission’s website, at the
following URL address: http://www.europa.eu.int/comm/environment/waste/waste_oil.htm.

2.
The Commission is actively working on this dossier and has the intention to review the Directive on
the disposal of waste oils in order to adapt it to technical and scientific progress. However, due to other
more pressing priorities on its resources the Commission will not bring forward such a proposal in 2002.

3.
Although it is not a full cost-benefit analysis, the above-mentioned study includes information on
costs of regeneration and its economic feasibility. The Commission is not aware of any full cost-benefit
analysis being available.

(1) OJ L 377, 31.12.1991.

(2002/C 229 E/196)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0996/02

by Eurig Wyn (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(15 April 2002)

Subject: Live animal transportation from South America

Can the Commission confirm whether new EU regulations governing the transportation of live animals
will cover live imports from third countries? It has been brought to my attention that many thousands of
animals being shipped from South America are still enduring much cruelty and deprivation despite new
EU regulations.