WRITTEN QUESTION P-1608/03 by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Destruction of obsolete pesticides.
Date: 2003-05-07
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Central and Eastern European countries, EU financing, accession to the European Union, environmental protection, hazardous waste, pesticide, safety standard, waste incineration

C 33 E/142

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

6.2.2004

As a result of the legislative process Directive 2003/4/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of
28 January 2003 on public access to environmental information and repealing Council Directive 90/313/
EEC (3) was adopted on 28 January 2003. Article 2 (2) of this Directive further clarifies which public
authorities are subject to the Directive and indicates that ‘Member States may provide that this definition
shall not include bodies or institutions when acting in a judicial or legislative capacity.’

The Commission is aware that the German authorities are currently working on the modification of the
Umweltinformationsgesetz in order to meet the obligations of Directive 2003/4/EC.

The Commission will, when monitoring the legislative processes in the Member States as regards the
modification of existing legislation with a view to align this to Directive 2003/4/EC, take due account of
the issue raised by the Honourable Member along the lines set out above.

(1) COM(2000) 400 final.
(2) OJ C 337 E, 28.11.2000.
(3) OJ L 41, 14.2.2003.

(2004/C 33 E/140)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1608/03

by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(7 May 2003)

Subject: Destruction of obsolete pesticides

In its esteemed answer to Written Question P-0480/03 (1), the Commission states that, to date, not one of
the applicant countries has reacted to the letter from 28 MEPs concerning the receipt of financial aid for
inventory work on and the destruction of obsolete pesticides. On the other hand, the Commission has, on
several occasions in the past, acknowledged the problems posed by such obsolete pesticides.

At the same time, it leaves unanswered the question whether or not the applicant countries now have a
sufficient number of appropriate and efficient thermal
incinerators available in which to destroy the
stockpiles of obsolete pesticides (and, possibly, other hazardous waste prohibited in the EU of the Fifteen).

Can the Commission indicate whether the thermal incinerators in the applicant countries now meet the
requirements
in a manner which complies with the
Commission’s strictest standards in this area and what steps it will take, should that not be the case?

the incineration of obsolete pesticides

for

Can it indicate the approximate share that expired pesticides account for in the requests for financial aid
from seven Member States for inventory work on the pollution connected with persistent organic
pollutants and what share that constitutes of the total (estimated) amount of obsolete pesticides in general?

Does the Commission still take the view that it is for the applicant countries to take the initiative to apply
to it if they want to receive financial aid for the destruction of expired pesticides when it is obvious that,
after repeated urgent requests from, inter alia, the European Parliament, the applicant countries have not
yet realised that this problem must be taken seriously with a view to the protection of public health in
Europe? If so, on the basis of what arguments does the Commission persist in its view?

(1) OJ C 268 E, 7.11.2003.

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(13 June 2003)

In the accession negotiations for the environment chapter, nine of the Acceding Countries agreed to fully
comply with the standards set out in Directive 2000/76/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of
4 December 2000 on the incineration of waste (1) by accession for new installations and by the date

6.2.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 33 E/143

stipulated in the Directive for existing installations (28 December 2005). Slovakia has been granted a
transition period until the end of 2006 to reach compliance for a limited number of existing incinerators.
As regards the preceding Council Directive 94/67/EC of 16 December 1994 on the incineration of
hazardous waste (2), Hungary was granted a transition period until 30 June 2005 for certain emission limit
values and measurements within a limited number of incinerators.

The Commission cannot indicate the share that expired pesticides account for in the request from seven
Acceding and Candidate Countries for inventory works (3) on persistent organic pollutants related
contamination nor does the Commission know the share that constitutes of the total amount of obsolete
pesticides in general. This falls under the scope of the Stockholm Convention on persistent organic
pollutants, as it was outlined in the reply to Written Question P-0480/03 by the Honourable Member.
According to a survey (4) made in the 10 acceding countries, the share of POP pesticides seems to vary a
great deal from one country to another. In the four acceding countries with large stocks of obsolete
pesticides, the estimated share of POPs waste varies from 1,4 % to 30 %.

The responsibility and initiative for receiving financial aid for the destruction of expired pesticides clearly
has to be taken by the Acceding and Candidate Countries themselves. It is their obligation to transpose and
implement the acquis at the latest by their accession to the Union, with the above mentioned limited
exceptions. The Commission is closely monitoring their preparations, as well as assisting them in
evaluating the scope of the problem. In this context, the Commission commissioned the above-mentioned
study. Community financial instruments such as PHARE and ISPA are in principle available to properly
manage obsolete pesticides in the Candidate Countries subject to the specific conditions stipulated for these
instruments. After accession, they will have access to the Structural and Cohesion Funds for this purpose.

(1) OJ L 332, 28.12.2000.
(2) OJ L 365, 31.12.1994.
(3) More information about the regarding proposals can be found on the WebPages http://www.gefonline.org/.
(4) European Commission, Directorate General for Environment,

‘Obsolete Pesticides Status in Candidate Countries’.

Final report. September 2002.

(2004/C 33 E/141)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1609/03

by Claude Moraes (PSE) to the Commission

(7 May 2003)

Subject: Human Trafficking Experts Group

Can the Commission please give me details on the purpose and remit of its ‘Human Trafficking Experts
Group’?

Answer given by Mr Vitorino on behalf of the Commission

(3 June 2003)

On 25 March 2003, the Commission adopted Decision 2003/209/EC setting up a consultative group to be
known as the ‘Experts Group on Trafficking in Human Beings’ (1).

The experts group shall be an important element for the implementation of the Brussels Declaration. This
document was the final outcome of European Conference on Prevention and Combating Trafficking in
Human Beings (cid:1) Global Challenge for the 21st Century from 18 to 20 September 2002. It includes an
annex of recommendations, standards and best practices. The experts group shall contribute substantively
to the further development of the prevention of and the fight against trafficking in human beings.
According to Article 2 of the Decision, the Commission may consult the experts group on any matter
relating to trafficking in human beings.
In particular, a report of the experts group based on the
recommendations of the Brussels Declaration shall be submitted within a period of nine months following
the setting up of the group in order to assist the Commission with a view to launching further concrete
proposals at Union level, for example an action plan or a communication.