WRITTEN QUESTION E-2746/02 by Samuli Pohjamo (ELDR) and Mikko Pesälä (ELDR) to the Commission. Inclusion of peat in the mining waste directive.
Date: 2002-09-30
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: drafting of EU law, energy policy, energy production, environmental protection, mining extraction, mining operation, peat, waste management

18.9.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 222 E/15

(2003/C 222 E/017)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2746/02

by Samuli Pohjamo (ELDR) and Mikko Pesälä (ELDR) to the Commission

Subject: Inclusion of peat in the mining waste directive

(30 September 2002)

The Commission is drafting a directive on mining waste. According to our information, the Commission is
considering including peat in the directive, which would cause major practical problems to our country’s
peat
industry in connection with the requirements for the treatment of waste and various new
bureaucracy.

We are very surprised at this, since peat is not a mineral and does not generate similar waste to the mining
industry.

In reality,
in Finland peat is a slowly renewable natural resource, and burning it together with other
bioenergy sources, using modern technology, produces excellent results (cid:1) better than would be obtained
using only wood, for example.

It seems that the whole of the Nordic peat and bioenergy industry is so little known to the officials
responsible for drafting legislation at the Commission that it might be time for them to undertake a fact-
finding mission to the North.

Is the Commission equating peat with mining waste in the directive on mining waste or is it in any other
way imposing new restrictive criteria on the use of peat in energy production?

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(18 November 2002)

The Commission has indicated in its Communication ‘Towards a Thematic Strategy on Soil Protection’ (1)
that it would present a proposal for a Directive on mining waste. Measures on mining waste are also
identified as a priority action in the Parliament and Council Decision No 1600/2002/EC of 22 July 2002
laying down the 6th Community Environment Action Programme (2).

In order to consult stakeholders, the Environment Directorate-General has elaborated a number of working
documents on the possible content of a proposal for a Directive on the management of waste from the
extractive industry. These drafts mentioned the possibility of
including waste generated during the
extraction of peat into the scope of the proposal.

Peat extraction is listed in the Annexes of Council Directive 97/11/EC of 3 March 1997 amending
Directive 85/337/EEC on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the
environment (3), as a project of extractive industry that is likely to have significant environmental effects.
The management of waste from peat extraction falls under the provisions of Council Directive 75/442/EEC
of 15 July 1975 on waste (4) and may, depending on the characteristics of the waste generated, fall also
under the provisions of Council Directive 1999/31/EC of 26 April 1999 on the landfill of waste (5).

At this stage, the Commission has not yet decided on the content and scope of the proposal. In doing so,
the Commission will take into account the above-mentioned Community legislation on waste as well as
Community policy on energy supply. It will also take into account the comments and suggestions made
during the consultation process, including those set out by the Honourable Members.

(1) COM(2002) 179 final.
(2) OJ L 242, 10.9.2002.
(3) OJ L 73, 14.3.1997.
(4) OJ L 194, 25.7.1975.
(5) OJ L 182, 16.7.1999.