WRITTEN QUESTION P-0541/00 by Minerva Malliori (PSE) to the Commission. Mental health.
C 330 E/184 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 21. 11. 2000 Answer given by Mme Wallström on behalf of the Commission (23 March 2000) In June 1989 two directives were adopted to control the emissions of certain pollutants from municipal waste incineration plants: Council Directive 89/369/EEC of 8 June 1989 on the prevention of air pollution from new municipal waste incineration plants (1) and Council Directive 89/429/EEC of 21 June 1989 on the reduction of air pollution from existing municipal waste incineration plants (2). These directives have made a considerable contribution to the reduction of emissions of pollutants in the Community. However, their scope is restricted to municipal waste while incineration is increasingly used as a means of treatment for other wastes, such as sewage sludge, clinical waste and tyres. In 1994 Council Directive 94/67/EC of 16 December 1994 on the incineration of hazardous waste (3) was adopted. This introduces conditions for the operation of plants for incinerating the most hazardous wastes. It imposes more stringent standards for emissions than the 1989 directives for municipal waste incinera- tion and introduces numerical emission limits for dioxins and furans. In future, all three directives will be repealed and replaced by a single directive, which sets emission limit values for all relevant pollutants. The Council adopted a common position on the future directive on incineration on 25 November 1999 (4). The second reading will take place in March 2000 and the final adoption is expected for autumn 2000. The proposed emission limit values will become applicable to existing plants five years after the adoption of the directive, that is to say probably in autumn 2005. (1) OJ L 163, 14. 6. 1989. (2) OJ L 203, 15. 7. 1989. (3) OJ L 365, 31. 12. 1994. (4) OJ C 25, 28. 1. 2000. (2000/C 330 E/211) WRITTEN QUESTION P-0541/00 by Minerva Malliori (PSE) to the Commission (21 February 2000) Subject: Mental health In view of the resolution on mental health adopted unanimously on 18 November 1999 at the meeting of the Council of Health Ministers, the conclusions of the European Summit conference held under the Finnish presidency and the observations by Mr Byrne, member of the Commission, concerning a set of measures in the field of mental health, does the Commission in fact intend to take measures in this area and if so what measures, particularly in view of quantitative and qualitative findings which reveal the serious impact of mental disorders on European citizens in many areas of their everyday life? Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission (22 March 2000) The Commission is currently developing a health strategy in which mental health will play a role. This strategy will take account of the resolution on mental health of the Health Council and the conclusions of the conference held under the Finnish Presidency. Important developments in the area of mental health are already taking place under the Community action programmes on health promotion and health monitoring. A report on the mental health promotion of children has recently been published as a result of a project