Brussels, 29/10/2010 (Agence Europe) - Several member states have been singled out by the European Commission for failure to respect EU environment legislation despite previous warnings. The Commission decided on Thursday 28 October to enter a new stage in the infringement proceedings against the countries in question.
Sweden will be taken to the European Court of Justice (the third stage in the proceedings) for failure to respect EU Directive 96/61/EC, codified by Directive 2008/1/EC, on industrial pollution. The Commission says that Greece has not updated the operating permits issued to 26 industrial plants before 30 October 1999, thereby missing the 30 October 2007 deadline.
Slovakia is being sent a further reasoned opinion (second stage in the proceedings) for failure to properly implement EU Directive 2002/96/EC encouraging the recovery and recycling of electrical and electronic goods. Slovakia has amended its legislation after receiving the first reasoned opinion in 2008 but the new legislation is still not adequate when it comes to the collection of waste goods.
France, Italy, Luxembourg and Slovenia are being sent reasoned opinions for persistent infringement of EU Directive 2008/112/EC on the classification, labelling and packaging of chemicals and mixtures of chemicals. The deadline for transposing the directive into domestic law was 1 April 2010. The countries are asked to rapidly communicate to the Commission their national transposition measures. (A.N./transl.fl)