WRITTEN QUESTION E-1966/03 by Proinsias De Rossa (PSE) to the Commission. Incineration of Irish clinical waste in the UK.
Date: 2003-06-13
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Ireland, United Kingdom, application of EU law, exchange of information, export of waste, hospital waste, infringement procedure (EU), waste incineration

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.