Brussels, 28/10/2010 (Agence Europe) - Spain and Greece are in danger of having financial penalties imposed on them if they persist in failing to carry out the rulings made by the European Court of Justice, which ruled against both countries for infringing EU legislation on the environment.
On Thursday 28 October, the Commission decided to take proceedings to a new stage against these two countries. A letter of formal notice will be sent to them requesting their compliance. This is the final stage before a possible referral to the European Court of Justice, which will allow the Commission under Article 260 of the treaty, to demand financial penalties.
Spain is being targeted for persistently infringing the Seveso directive on major industrial accidents (directive 96/82/EC, “Seveso II”). Six months after a ruling by the European Court of Justice (made on 25 March last), the Spanish authorities have still not adopted external emergency plans for 24 potentially hazardous industrial plants. The Seveso directive stipulates adoption of these plans so that when there is an industrial accident, the consequences on people, the environment and goods, can be limited.
The Commission has criticised Greece for 316 illegal landfill sites, which are still functioning, despite the fact that they should have been closed. The country is also behind on its plans to clean up 429 other waste processing sites. The cut-off date for the cleaning up operation had been set for the end of 2008. The European Court of Justice ruled against Spain in 2005 but the latter has made some progress in respect of the 2006/12/EC directive on waste management. Nonetheless, the Commission would like the country to respect all of its obligations and has subsequently sent it a letter of formal notice, following its first warning sent in April 2009. (A.N./transl.fl)