WRITTEN QUESTION E-1967/03 by Proinsias De Rossa (PSE) to the Commission. Irish Government's waste prevention and waste recovery policies.
Date: 2003-06-13
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Ireland, application of EU law, exchange of information, infringement procedure (EU), waste management, waste recycling

26.2.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 51 E/167

On page 20 of its report published on 19 May, the Commission says that Ireland, Italy and the UK had
‘confirmed that they had adopted such rules without providing practical details’. In this instance, the
Commission concluded that:
‘Disappointingly, no reason or advantages have been provided by those
Member States who have done so. This remains a very underdeveloped area’.

What is the Commission’s view of the failure by Ireland, Italy and the UK to provide further information
about their decisions to allow these exemptions under Article 11? Do these failures constitute ‘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/185)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1966/03

by Proinsias De Rossa (PSE) to the Commission

Subject: Incineration of Irish clinical waste in the UK

(13 June 2003)

On page 7 of its report on the implementation of Community waste legislation for the period 1998-
2000 (1) published on 19 May 2003, the Commission says that it is considering initiating procedures under
Article 226 of the Treaty against Member States where significant deficiencies remain in the reports
submitted by Member States.

In relation to Article 7(2) of the 1975 Waste Directive 75/442/EEC (2), which deals with the issue of
collaboration on waste between Member States, the Commission states on page 13 that, in its previous
submission, the UK referred to collaboration between it and Ireland concerning the incineration of clinical
waste in the UK but that Ireland ‘did not supply any details’.

What is the Commission’s view of Ireland’s failure to supply details about the export to and incineration of
Irish clinical waste in the UK? 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/186)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1967/03

by Proinsias De Rossa (PSE) to the Commission

(13 June 2003)

Subject: Irish Government’s waste prevention and waste recovery policies

On page 7 of its report on the implementation of Community waste legislation for the period 1998-
2000 (1) published on 19 May 2003, the Commission says that it is considering initiating procedures under
Article 226 of the Treaty against Member States where significant deficiencies remain in the reports
submitted by Member States.

Article 3(1) of the 1975 Waste Directive (Dir 75/442/EEC (2)), and the Community Waste Management
Strategy, commit Member States to taking measures to encourage waste prevention and waste recovery.

On page 15 of its report on the 1998-2000 period, the Commission states that Ireland did not report on
the state of its implementation of Article 3(1) and merely referred back to its report for the 1995-1997
period.

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.