Brussels, 18/09/2000 (Agence Europe) - Last week, the European Commission decided to pursue the infringement procedures engaged against Portugal, Finland and the Netherlands for persistent failure to transpose into internal law Community legislation relating to hazardous waste (Directive 67/548/EEC of the Council on the classification, packaging and labelling of hazardous waste adopted in 1967 and amended since then on many occasions.
The Netherlands will be hauled before the European Court of Justice (third stage in the procedure) as their new legislation adopted to remedy the shortcomings previously noted is still not regarded as satisfactory to correctly transpose Directive 97/69/EEC of the Council on the 23rd adaptation to technical progress of Directive 67/548/EEC.
Portugal and Finland will received reasoned opinions (second stage of the procedure under Article 226 of the Treaty) for not having communicated, as they should have done by 31 October 1999 at the latest, the text of the national provisions intended to transpose Directive 98/73/EC of the Council on the 24th adaptation of technical progress of Directive 67/548/EEC.