WRITTEN QUESTION E-2800/02 by Chris Davies (ELDR) to the Commission. Clitheroe cement works, England.
Date: 2002-10-07
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU law - national law, England, cement, environmental impact, environmental protection, furnace, national implementing measure, waste incineration

C 110 E/106

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

8.5.2003

The first evaluation results, in particular those of an opinion poll carried out in four of the participating
cities, are available online on the initiative’s website: www.mobilityweek-europe.org

The main cost of European Mobility Week is EUR 551 573 to cover a 28-month grant which started on
1 January 2002. The event marking the launch of the first European Mobility Week on 16 September
2002, held in the parc du Cinquantenaire in Brussels, was organised by the Commission and cost about
EUR 12 000.

The International Car Free Day as such does not involve any further direct cost to the Community budget,
since the local and national authorities and other parties in the 37 participating countries take charge of
organising it.

No decision has yet been taken on the financing of this initiative after April 2004.

Since it falls to the participants to decide on the basis of each one’s evaluation what form the initiative is
to take in the future, it is not yet possible to answer the last part of the Honourable Member’s question.
The dates have, however, already been fixed for European Mobility Week 2003, which will take place from
16 to 22 September 2003.

(2003/C 110 E/108)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2800/02

by Chris Davies (ELDR) to the Commission

(7 October 2002)

Subject: Clitheroe cement works, England

In view of the decision by the Commission to send the UK a reasoned opinion for the failure to undertake
an environmental impact assessment with regard to a change in the fuel used at cement kilns at Clitheroe
in Lancashire, is it the Commission’s intention to insist upon remedial works or the imposition of new
conditions to curtail the burning of hazardous waste at this location?

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(19 November 2002)

The Honourable Member refers to the Reasoned Opinion of the Commission in relation to cement kilns at
Clitheroe in Lancashire. This concerns the implementation in British law of Council Directive 85/337/EEC
the effects of certain public and private projects on the
of 27 June 1985 on the assessment of
environment (1) in its original form and also as amended by Council Directive 97/11/EC of 3 March
1997 (2).

The Reasoned Opinion was issued under Article 226 of the EC Treaty because the Commission is of the
opinion that the British Government is not correctly applying Directive 85/337/EEC. In particular, the
Commission is concerned that the United Kingdom’s use of so called ‘material change of use’ provisions in
planning law may preclude a decision in accordance with the criteria in Directive 85/337/EEC as to
whether a new project, or change in a project, requires an environmental impact assessment. In addition,
the system for issuing pollution control authorisations in the United Kingdom has not been required to
comply with Directive 85/337/EEC (which has only been incorporated into the land-use planning system),
as required by Directive 85/337/EEC. These concerns came to light as a result of various complaints,
including the one relating to a cement kiln in Clitheroe. However, the main focus of the Commission’s
action under Article 226 of the EC Treaty is to ensure that the United Kingdom correctly aligns its
legislation to Directive 85/337/EEC rather than upon remedial works or the imposition of new conditions
to curtail the burning of hazardous waste in Clitheroe.

(1) OJ L 175, 5.7.1985.
(2) OJ L 73, 14.3.1997.