Brussels, 28/06/2010 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 24 June, the European Commission announced that it had gone to another stage in the infringement proceedings against a number of member states which, despite one or two referrals, continued to breach European legislation on the environment. In some cases, procedures that have been opened have now been closed, to the great satisfaction of the commissioner for the environment, Janez Potoènik.
A case at the European Court of Justice (third stage procedure) will therefore be lodged against four member states: - Luxembourg failing to notify measures transposing Directive 2006/118/EC into internal law on protecting underground waters against pollution and deterioration and for the incomplete transposition of Directive 1998/83/EC on the quality of drinking water; - Greece, for failings observed in managing waste from the Fyli-Skalistiri landfill in the Attiki region infringing Directives 2006/12/EC and 1999/31/EC, relating to waste and landfill of waste respectively; - Belgium, for failure to implement in full Directive 2000/53/EC on end of life vehicles; - Germany to the EU's Court of Justice for incomplete implementation of Directive 2007/2/EC, establishing an infrastructure for Spatial Information in the European Community (INSPIRE).
Air-quality: Belgium, Greece and Romania will receive a reasoned opinion (second stage of the procedure) for infringing Directive 2008/50/EC. Alleged infringement involves: failure to tackle excess emissions of tiny airborne particles known as PM10, which are the most damaging to health. Flood prevention: Belgium, Bulgaria, Estonia and France will be sent a reasoned opinion for the late transposition into internal law of Directive 2007/60/EC on the assessment and management of flood risks, when the cut-off date had been set for 26 of November 2009 at the latest.
Directive on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) - Latvia: Latvia is being sent a reasoned opinion for incorrect transposition of Directive 2002/96/EC (in Latvian law, the definition of the Latvian producer refers to the national market, whereas the terms of the directive stipulate that the producer definition should refer to the EU market concerning the production of electrical and electronic equipment).
Water policy: Finland and Poland will receive a reasoned opinion or incorrect implementation of the water framework directive (2000/60/EC).
Environmental noise: also will receive a reasoned opinion for persistent infringement of Directive 2002/49/EC. Malta is accused of failing to measure environmental noise (using a standard methodology and standard indicators) to draw up strategic noise maps for major urban agglomerations, roads, airports and railways.
Waste management: Slovakia will receive a reasoned opinion for infringing Directive 1999/31/EC on waste discharge. The case concerns the operation of the Landfill site in Považský Chlmec, near Žilina. Slovak authorities are still not communicated information confirming that specific documents required have been provided in order to allow it to continue operating the “existing landfill site” after 16 July 2009.
As part of the good news, the Commission is delighted that France has complied with its obligations to rectify nitrate pollution of sources of drinking water in Brittany and that this procedure begun 10 years ago has now closed. It is also pleased that Spain is now respecting rules on the protection of birds in many protected zones under the EU-wide Natura 2000 natural habitats network. (A.N./transl.fl)