WRITTEN QUESTION E-0030/04 by Christopher Huhne (ELDR) to the Commission. Landfill and gravel extraction sites.
Date: 2004-01-20
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: environmental impact, environmental law, environmental protection, mining extraction, waste management

C 84 E/752

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

3.4.2004

(2004/C 84 E/0847)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0030/04

by Christopher Huhne (ELDR) to the Commission

(20 January 2004)

Subject: Landfill and gravel extraction sites

Can the Commission state whether any EU legislation exists that stipulates the distance of landfill and
gravel extraction sites from houses, roads and water courses?

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(23 February 2004)

As regards landfills, Annex I.1 of Council Directive 1999/31/EC of 26 April 1999 on the landfill of
waste (1) states that the location of a landfill must take into consideration requirements relating to:

(a)

the distances from the boundary of the site to residential and recreational areas, waterways, water
bodies and other agricultural or urban sites;

(b)

the existence of groundwater, coastal water or nature protection zones in the area;

(c)

the geological and hydrogeological conditions in the area;

(d)

the risk of flooding, subsidence, landslides or avalanches on the site;

(e)

the protection of the nature or cultural patrimony in the area.

The landfill can be authorised only if the characteristics of the site with respect to the above-mentioned
requirements, or the corrective measures to be taken, indicate that the landfill does not pose a serious
environmental risk. However, the Directive does not stipulate any specific distances from houses, roads or
water courses.

As regards gravel extraction, such an activity is governed by Council Directive 85/337/EEC of 25 June
1985, on the assessment of the effects of certain projects on the environment (2) as amended by Council
Directive 97/11/EC of 3 March 1997 (3). Location is one of the criteria to be taken into account in
assessing the potential significant effects of extractive activities. Similarly, the Directive does not stipulate
any specific distances but relevant requirements may be found in national provisions implementing the
Directive.

(1) OJ L 182, 16.7.1999.
(2) OJ L 175, 5.7.1985.
(3) OJ L 73, 14.3.1997.

(2004/C 84 E/0848)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0044/04

by Monica Frassoni (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(20 January 2004)

Subject: Val Jumela

Article 3 of Directive 92/43/EEC (1) states that a coherent European ecological network of special areas of
conservation is to be set up under the title ‘Natura 2000’.

Article 4 of the directive sets out the procedure for defining this network: first of all a draft list of sites of
Community importance is proposed by the Member States; a list of sites of Community importance (SCI) is
subsequently adopted by the Commission on the basis of the proposals; finally, the SCI are classified as
special areas of conservation by the Member States.

Article 6 lays down the conservation measures for the special areas of conservation. Furthermore,
in
accordance with Article 4(5), as soon as a site is placed on the list of sites of Community importance it is
subject to the provisions of Article 6.