WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1885/97 by Amedeo AMADEO to the Commission. Waste management
C 21/110 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 22. 1. 98 (98/C 21/219) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1885/97 by Amedeo Amadeo (NI) to the Commission (2 June 1997) Subject: Waste management With reference to the Commissionís Communication on the review of the Community Strategy for Waste Managementí and the ádraft Council Resolution on waste policyí (COM(96) 0399 final), will the Commission promote studies and research, with a specific role for the EEA (European Environment Agency), to explain the crucial aspects of the problem and highlight particular situations while waiting for the complex system for providing statistics at European level to begin producing reliable data? Answer given by Mrs Bjerregaard on behalf of the Commission (25 June 1997) In the communication from the Commission on the review of the Community strategy for waste management (1) the importance of the availability of reliable and comparable data on waste generation and waste management was outlined. The Commission expressed the need to examine the appropriate instruments to improve data collection because the current situation regarding waste statistics is not satisfactory. These activities have to be undertaken in close co-operation with Eurostat, the European environmental agency and Member States. In reply to the question of the Honourable Member three important initiatives to improve the situation regarding waste statistics should be mentioned: › › › in October 1996 the Commission started a study that aims to collect data on waste generation and waste management in the Member States and develop a methodology for the gathering and use of these data. The final report of this study is expected in October 1997; the Commission is preparing a Council regulation on waste management statistics. This will establish the legal basis for a system of Community waste statistics that will provide harmonised data on waste generation and waste management. The results of the study mentioned above will be used to define the degree of detail for requirements regarding methodology and the need for guidance documents; the Agency is preparing the establishment of a European topic centre on waste. The decision to establish this topic centre was taken in December 1996. In March 1997 a specification describing the tasks of the centre was sent to the nominated candidates. The European topic centre will be designated by the Agency’s management board in June 1997. The European topic centre will play an important role in providing information for the preparation of waste management policy, on the basis of the statistics provided by Eurostat such as detailed surveys for specific sectors, trend analysis etc. The results of the above mentioned study will give valuable input in the starting period of the centre. With these provisions it should be possible to improve considerably the situation regarding waste statistics and information on waste during the years to come. (1) COM(96) 399 final. (98/C 21/220) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1886/97 by Amedeo Amadeo (NI) to the Commission (2 June 1997) Subject: Monitoring CO2 emissions In the Proposal for a Council Decision amending Decision 93/389/EEC for a monitoring mechanism of Community CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissionsí (COM(96) 0369 final › 96/0192 SYN) (1), various references are made to the ozone precursors which are harmful to health