CELEX: C1998/055/32
Language: en
Date: 1998-02-20 00:00:00
Title: Reference for a preliminary ruling from the Netherlands Raad van State by order of that court of 25 November 1997 in the case of Vereniging Dorpsbelang Hees, Stichting Werkgroep Weurt, Vereniging Stedelijk Leefmilieu Nijmegen v. Director of the Environmental and Water Services Department, Gelderland (Case C-419/97)

20.2.98               EN                Official Journal of the European Communities                                    C 55/17
The applicant claims that the Court should:                             (a) In regard to the building and demolition waste
                                                                             from which the chips are produced, operations
                                                                             are carried out already at an earlier stage than
Ð declare that, by failing to adopt the laws, regulations                    burning which are to be regarded as a discarding
    or administrative provisions necessary to comply with                    of the waste, namely operations (recycling
    Council Directive 92/29/EEC of 31 March 1992 on                          operations) to render the waste suitable for reuse
    the minimum safety and health requirements for                           (use as a fuel)?
    improved medical treatment on board vessels (1), the
    Grand Duchy of Luxembourg has failed to fulfil its
                                                                             If so, is an operation to render waste suitable for
    obligations under that Directive,
                                                                             reuse (recycling operation) to be regarded as an
                                                                             operation for recovery of waste only if that
                                                                             operation is expressly mentioned in Annex II B of
Ð order the Kingdom of Belgium to pay the costs.                             Directive 75/442/EEC, or also if that operation is
                                                                             analogous to an operation mentioned in
                                                                             Annex II B?
Pleas in law and main arguments adduced in support:
                                                                        (b) Wood chips constitute waste under contemporary
The pleas in law and main arguments are analogous with                       thinking whereby it is of particular relevance
those relied upon in Case C-406/97 (2); the time-limit for                   whether they may be recovered in an
transposition expired on 31 December 1994.                                   environmentally responsible manner for use as
                                                                             fuel without further processing?
(1) OJ L 113, 30.4.1992, p. 19.
(2) OJ C 41, 7.2.1998, p. 11.                                           (c)  The use of wood chips as a fuel is comparable
                                                                             with an accepted method of waste recovery?
                                                                   (1) OJ L 194, 25.7.1975, p. 39.
Reference for a preliminary ruling from the Netherlands
Raad van State by order of that court of 25 November
1997 in the case of Vereniging Dorpsbelang Hees,
Stichting    Werkgroep Weurt, Vereniging Stedelijk                 Appeal brought on 12 December 1997 by SocieÂteÂ
Leefmilieu Nijmegen v. Director of the Environmental and           anonyme des traverses en beÂton armeÂ (SATEBA) against
           Water Services Department, Gelderland                   the order made on 29 September 1997 by the First
                       (Case C-419/97)                             Chamber of the Court of First Instance of the European
                                                                   Communities in Case T-83/97 between SocieÂteÂ anonyme
                          (98/C 55/32)                             de traverses en beÂton armeÂ (SATEBA) and the
                                                                            Commission of the European Communities
                                                                                          (Case C-422/97 P)
Reference has been made to the Court of Justice of the
European Communities by order of the Netherlands Raad                                        (98/C 55/33)
van State (Council of State) of 25 November 1997,
received at the Court Registry on 11 December 1997, for
a preliminary ruling in the case of Vereniging Dorpsbelang         An appeal against the order made on 29 September 1997
Hees, Stichting Werkgroep Weurt, Vereniging Stedelijk              by the First Chamber of the Court of First Instance of the
Leefmilieu Nijmegen v. Director of the Environmental and           European Communities in Case T-83/97 between SocieÂteÂ
Water Services Department, Gelderland, on the following            anonyme de traverses en beÂton armeÂ (SATEBA) and the
questions:                                                         Commission of the European Communities was brought
                                                                   before the Court of Justice of the European Communities
                                                                   on 12 December 1997 by SocieÂteÂ anonyme de traverses en
1. May it be inferred from the mere fact that wood chips           beÂton armeÂ (SATEBA), represented by Jacques Manseau,
    undergo an operation listed in Annex II B to Directive         of the Paris Bar, with an address for service in
    75/442/EEC (1) that that substance has been discarded          Luxembourg at the Chambers of Ernest Arendt, 8-10 rue
    so as to enable it to be regarded as waste for the             Mathias Hardt.
    purposes of Directive 75/442/EEC?
                                                                   The appellant claims that the Court should set aside the
2. If Question 1 is to be answered in the negative, does           order of the Court of First Instance of 29 September 1997
    the reply to the question whether the use of wood              in Case T-83/97 (1) on the grounds of (i) erroneous
    chips as a fuel is to be regarded as constituting              interpretation of the provisions of the EC Treaty and, in
    discarding depend on whether:                                  particular, Articles 155, 169 and 86 thereof and of