WRITTEN QUESTION E-2032/99 by Inger Schörling (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Drinks packaging.
24. 10. 2000 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 303 E/25 down in Article 16. 3 a requirement that Member States must submit to the Commission in a harmonised form basic information on veterinary checks carried out under this Directive. This Article was initially implemented by Commission Decision 98/470/EC of 9 July 1998 implementing Council Directive 89/662/ EEC as regards information on veterinary checks (8) which put in place the framework requirements for the collection and submission of information, and contained one annex dealing with the sector for fresh meat. A draft decision for the next sector, that covering poultry meat, is currently in preparation prior to being submitted to the standing veterinary committee. The Commission has the intention to produce further draft decisions to extend the sectors of activity for which information must be gathered and submitted to the Commission. In addition to the measures explained above it is important that Member States bilaterally agree on measures concerning cases of suspected or proven irregularities in certificates in accordance with Article 8 of Directive 89/662/EEC. (1) OJ L 243, 11. 10. 1995. (2) OJ L 243, 11. 10. 1995. (3) OJ L 243, 11. 10. 1995. (4) OJ 121, 29. 7. 1964. (5) OJ L 303, 31. 10. 1990. (6) OJ L 55, 8. 3. 1971. (7) OJ L 295, 30. 12. 1989. (8) OJ L 208, 24. 7. 1998. (2000/C 303 E/021) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2032/99 by Inger Schörling (Verts/ALE) to the Commission (3 November 1999) Subject: Drinks packaging The consumption of drinks packaging in the EU is very high and is damaging the environment. Has the Commission done anything to promote reusable drinks packaging, for instance? If so, how much money has it made available? How does it view the prospects for introducing an EU-wide system of standard returnable packaging that can be reused anywhere in the EU? Has it any idea of how much drinks packaging is consumed in the EU every day? Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission (4 January 2000) The encouragement of reuse systems of packaging in the Member States is one of the measures foreseen by Council Directive 94/62/EC of 20 December 1994 on packaging and packaging waste (1) in order to prevent or reduce the environmental impact of packaging waste provided that the packaging can be reused in an environmentally sound manner in conformity with the EC Treaty. However, no specific financial instrument has been foreseen for this purpose at Community level. The setting up of a European system for reuse is a rather complex issue where several aspects (standardisation, transport distances) play a role. This makes it difficult to harmonise the existing reuse systems, which have historically developed along different lines. Moreover, the need to ensure a high level of environmental protection has to be combined with internal market rules. As a first step in view of the promotion of reuse systems, the Commission launched a study aimed at describing the present situation and the constraints which hamper the further development of reuse systems. The study was completed recently and is available on the web site: http://www. europa. eu. int/ comm/environment/waste/report4. htm. The contents of this study express the opinion of its authors. C 303 E/26 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 24. 10. 2000 The Commission will take advantage of the revision process of Directive 94/62/EC, which should start before the end of 1999, to improve the reuse systems of packaging in the Member States. According to the most recent data, the total quantity of packaging waste in the Community is about 61 million tonnes per year, of which 14 million tonnes for liquid beverage containers (11 million tonnes glass, 1 million tonnes plastics, 1 million tonnes metals and 1 million tonnes beverage composites). (1) OJ L 365, 31. 12. 1994. (2000/C 303 E/022) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2078/99 by Mary Banotti (PPE-DE) to the Commission (12 November 1999) Subject: Incentives to use bicycles Can the Commission tell me what incentives, schemes or guidelines exist, if any, to encourage the use of bicycles for employees in the public sector in particular or indeed in the private sector? Is the Commission aware that some state funded companies encourage by financial ownership and use of the private motor car, whereas no such incentives are offered to cyclists? incentive, the Can the Commission tell me if there are any proposals to investigate the promotion of incentives for the use of the bicycle by, for example, looking at a mileage allowance in work related trips? Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission (20 December 1999) The Commission appreciates that employers have a key role to play in promoting sustainable mobility by encouraging staff to make greater use of alternatives to private cars, such as walking, cycling, public transport and car sharing (1). In line with the principle of subsidiarity, authorities and employers in the Member States must take the lead in matters of local and regional transport. Therefore, the Community has adopted no incentives, schemes or guidelines on this subject. The Commission does not presently hold the data that would allow it to answer the Honourable Memberís questions. However, it has initiated two projects that will provide relevant information in the future. It recently commissioned a study of áunconventional forms of charging and taxation to support public transport, and taxation (dis)-incentives in commuter transportí. This study is due to report in spring 2000. It will summarise how Member Statesí taxation systems affect incentives for individuals to choose different forms of transport to work, and for employers to help them with their travel arrangements -including bicycle use. In partnership with six member states, the Commission has established the European platform on mobility management (EPOMM). This will share good practice on how public and private organisations are encouraging sustainable transport patterns among employees and visitors. This information will be made available via the internet. To help transport authorities, operators and user groups find out about good practice in local and regional transport, the Commission also sponsors the European local transport information service (Eltis) (www. el- tis. org). This includes more than three hundred case studies, of which several ü like the Helsinki cycling strategy and the Nottingham Commuter Planners Club ü deal with initiatives which aim to promote cycle