WRITTEN QUESTION E-2477/99 by Monica Frassoni (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. LIFE project.
C 225 E/142 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 8. 8. 2000 It cannot be claimed at present that all Member State governments are rushing to implement the Seveso directive: many waste incinerators are still emitting over the Unionís recommended threshold. The Commission has said that it intends to adopt, by the end of the year, a new directive on the criteria for all types of incinerator, which will lay down extremely rigorous conditions for emission thresholds for key pollutants. The threat to public health represented by excessive dioxin and furan emissions has, moreover, been the subject of numerous WHO warnings. Does the Commission intend to approach the governments concerned to urge them to ensure compliance, throughout their territory, with the EU recommendations on dioxin and furan emissions from solid waste incinerators, and to press, accordingly, for the Seveso provisions to be implemented without further delay? What mechanisms or aids has the Commission instituted to ensure that incinerators operating within the Community observe the emission thresholds recommended by the EU? Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission (19 January 2000) There are currently three pieces of legislation aimed at limiting emissions from incineration plants. Council Directive 94/67/EC of 16 December 1994 (1) covers the incineration of most hazardous waste and Council Directives 89/369/EEC of 8 June 1989 on the prevention of air pollution from new municipal waste incineration plants (2) and 89/429/EEC of 21 June 1989 on the reduction of air pollution from existing municipal waste-incineration plant (3) cover the incineration of municipal waste. In future, all three pieces of legislation will be repealed and replaced by a single directive, which sets an emission limit value for dioxins of 0,1 nanogram toxicity equivalents per cubic meter. Council Directive 96/82/EC of 9 December 1996 on the control of major-accident hazards including dangerous substances (4), the so-called Seveso Directive, seeks in principle to reduce the possibility of major accidents in industrial installations and does not provide for emission limits. The Council adopted a common position on the proposal for a directive on incineration on 25 November 1999. The final adoption is expected for autumn 2000. The proposed emission limit value for dioxin will become applicable to existing plants five years after the adoption of the directive, that is to say probably in autumn 2005. After the transition period has expired, the Commission will apply all means foreseen in the EC Treaty to enforce the implementation and correct application of the directive. (1) OJ L 365, 31. 12. 1994. (2) OJ L 163, 14. 6. 1989. (3) OJ L 203, 15. 7. 1989. (4) OJ L 10, 14. 1. 1997. (2000/C 225 E/155) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2477/99 by Monica Frassoni (Verts/ALE) to the Commission (16 December 1999) Subject: LIFE project The LIFE Natura programme has given funds to the project to clean up Lake Alserio in the province of Como. 8. 8. 2000 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 225 E/143 Local environmental organisations maintain that: 1. 2. 3. the documents submitted to DG XI for the approval of the project do not reflect the true facts in the area concerned and that the accompanying maps are not in fact up to date; environmentally valuable areas have in the meantime been excluded from the areas coming within the Regional Park of the Lambro Valley in which Lake Alserio is situated and subject to environmental restrictions; the Trust administering the Regional Park of the Lambro Valley, which is one of the beneficiaries of the funds, ought to be replaced by government officials. Does the Commission intend: (a) (b) to check that the documents submitted tally with the actual situation in the area in which the measures are to be carried out? to freeze the funds granted by LIFE Natura 1999 to the project to clean up Lake Alserio pending such a check? Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission (17 January 2000) The LIFE-Nature project Actions of environmental restoration of Alserio Lakeí financed in 1999 targets the conservation of the site of Community importance Lago di Alserioí code IT2020005 (515 hectares of surface area) proposed under article 4 of Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992, on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora (1). The Commission has verified that the boundaries of the project area do fall within those of the Lago di Alserioí and thus comply with the criteria set out in Council Regulation (EC) No 1404/96 of 15 July 1996 amending Regulation (EEC) No 1973/92 establishing a financial instrument for the environment (Life) (2). The Commission is aware that parts of the site of Community importance have not been included in the nature reserve, and would thus not be covered by the management plan of the reserve. Nevertheless, to guarantee a coherent approach the project includes the preparation of a management plan for the entire site of Community importance. This plan will be formally adopted by the authorities before the project ends. The Commission has also no reason to doubt the other elements of information in the project proposal. The project was carefully evaluated and revised before the final decision. The Commission does not therefore consider it necessary to investigate the matter further or to freeze co-financing granted. (1) OJ L 206, 22. 7. 1992. (2) OJ L 181, 20. 7. 1996. (2000/C 225 E/156) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2478/99 by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission (16 December 1999) Subject: Clinic Clownsí: projects to provide psychological help for seriously ill children Over the last ten years projects, usually called Clinic Clownsí and aiming to provide psychological and moral support for seriously ill children and adolescents, have been successfully carried out in various Member States of the European Union such as the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Austria. By placing the emphasis on humour, people including medical and non-medical staff give patients psychological and moral support in addition to the treatment provided by medical experts