WRITTEN QUESTION E-1242/03 by Chris Davies (ELDR) to the Commission. Landfill Directive.
Date: 2003-04-02
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU Member State, domestic waste, environmental tax, statistics, underground storage of waste

C 33 E/100

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

6.2.2004

(2004/C 33 E/099)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1242/03

by Chris Davies (ELDR) to the Commission

(2 April 2003)

Subject: Landfill Directive

What is the current percentage of waste being diverted to landfill in each Member State?

What are the current levels of landfill tax levied in each Member State?

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(21 May 2003)

According to the data submitted by Member States for the report on the implementation of Community
Waste Legislation for the period 1995-1997 (1) landfilling is the main form of waste treatment in the
Community for domestic waste, with an average of 60 % being landfilled. The percentage of waste going to
landfills differs widely between Member States. Some Member States landfill only 15 % of their domestic
waste, while others landfill up to 94 %. For other waste the data submitted was not sufficient to draw any
conclusions.

The report shows the following percentages of domestic waste landfilled in the Member States:

(cid:1) Belgium: 32;

(cid:1) Denmark: 15;

(cid:1) Germany: 46;

(cid:1) Greece: 93;

(cid:1) Spain: 83;

(cid:1) France: 47;

(cid:1) Ireland: 92;

(cid:1) Italy: 94;

(cid:1) Luxembourg: 37;

(cid:1) Netherlands: 15;

(cid:1) Austria: 43;

(cid:1) Portugal: 88;

(cid:1) Finland: 57;

(cid:1) Sweden: 38;

(cid:1) United Kingdom: 83.

The data submitted by Member States for the period 1998-2000 shows a decreasing tendency in
landfilling, but a good number of Member States continue to rely heavily on landfill as means of disposing
domestic waste. The Commission is about to adopt and publish the report for the period 1998-2000.

So far, there is no Community legislation or harmonisation of national fiscal provisions applied by the
Member States in the area of landfill taxes. Therefore, the Commission does not dispose of comprehensive

6.2.2004

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Official Journal of the European Union

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information on these taxes in the Member States. The following information can be found in the
Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) database on environmental taxes (2):

Denmark

Netherlands

Austria

Finland

Sweden

(euro/tonne)

50,3

13 - 78,8

5,8 - 101,6

15,1

31,1

United Kingdom

3,2 - 19,3

(1) COM(1999) 752final.
(2) http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/enveco/database_env_taxation.htm.

(2004/C 33 E/100)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1243/03

by Chris Davies (ELDR) to the Commission

(2 April 2003)

Subject: Death of dolphins

The UK Fisheries Minister has proposed (20 March 2003) that it should be a legal requirement for some
UK fishing vessels to attach pingers or other acoustic warning devices to nets in a bid to keep dolphins
and porpoises from being caught.

Will the Commission now introduce similar measures with the requirement that they apply to all EU
vessels using fishing methods of concern in this respect?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(15 May 2003)

The use of acoustic deterrent devices (pingers) has proven successful
in reducing by-catches of small
cetaceans in certain type of fisheries. The Commission is aware that such a measure has already been made
mandatory since 2000 by Danish authorities, and is at present under consideration by the United Kingdom
authorities within their consultation paper published on 20 March 2003.

As stated in the answer given to Question H-0122/2003 by Mrs McAvan (1), the mandatory use of acoustic
alarms in certain gillnet fisheries is part of a package of measures under preparation and for which the
Commission has already engaged a consultation with stakeholders. The Commission intends to finalise this
package as a proposal to the Council within the coming months.

(1) Written answer of 11.3.2003.

(2004/C 33 E/101)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1252/03

by Freddy Blak (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

Subject: Common European packaging return scheme

(3 April 2003)

European Parliament and Council Directive 94/62/EC (1) refers to the need to harmonise national measures
concerning the management of packaging and packaging waste in order to prevent or reduce its impact on
the environment, thus providing a high level of environmental protection, and to ensure the functioning of
the internal market and to avoid obstacles to trade and distortion and restriction of competition within the
Community.