WRITTEN QUESTION E-1968/03 by Proinsias De Rossa (PSE) to the Commission. Treatment of hazardous waste in Ireland.
Date: 2003-06-13
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Ireland, application of EU law, exchange of information, hazardous waste, waste management

C 51 E/168

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

26.2.2004

The Commission concluded that, from the information provided by all Member States, it ‘remains unclear
whether and to how much waste has been prevented within the European Union over the 1998-2000
period’ (p. 15).

What is the Commission’s view of Ireland’s failure to report on its efforts to encourage waste prevention
and waste recovery during this period? Does this constitute one of the ‘significant deficiencies’ in respect of
which it is considering initiating legal procedures?

(1) COM(2003) 250 final.
(2) OJ L 194, 25.7.1975, p. 39.

(2004/C 51 E/187)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1968/03

by Proinsias De Rossa (PSE) to the Commission

(13 June 2003)

Subject: Treatment of hazardous waste in Ireland

On 19 May 2003, the Commission released its report on the implementation of Community waste
legislation for the period 1998-2000 (1).

Table 3.2 (p.31) sets out how hazardous waste is treated and handled in each Member State. In the case of
Ireland, the Commission notes that the total figure for hazardous waste provided by the Irish Government
in 1999 (i.e. 415 632 tonnes) amounts to ‘approximately 97 % of the actual’.

Does this mean that the Irish Government did not or was unable to explain what happened to another
roughly 12 500 tonnes of hazardous waste in Ireland in 1999? From the information provided by the Irish
Government in response to the Commission’s questionnaire and used by the Commission to compile its
report, does the Commission know how this hazardous waste was dealt with and what it constituted?

(1) COM(2003) 250 final.

Joint answer
to Written Questions E-1965/03, E-1966/03, E-1967/03 and E-1968/03
given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(24 July 2003)

All four written questions of the Honourable Member refer to items as presented in the Commission’s
report on the implementation of Community waste legislation for the period 1998-2000 (1) and they are
therefore considered together.

As stated in the introduction to the aforementioned report, the latter is drawn up on the basis of the
replies of the Member States to questionnaires established to this effect. These replies may reasonably vary
in detail from one Member State to another and often contain only an update of the situation as compared
to the previous reporting period. When important information is lacking, preventing the Commission from
properly fulfilling its reporting duties, this may suggest a breach of the reporting obligations of a Member
State. In this context however, the cases pointed out by the Honourable Member cannot be considered as
justifying the initiation of infringement proceedings.

Regarding in particular question E-1968/03 on the treatment of hazardous waste in Ireland, the comment
stating that the total figure of hazardous waste reported accounts for approximately 97 % of the actual,
was made by the Irish authorities in their reply to the questionnaire and only referred to hazardous waste
treated outside Ireland. The information provided does not specify how the remaining 3 % was treated.

(1) COM(2003) 250 final.