Brussels, 01/08/2001 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission decided on Monday to start an infringement procedure against Austria for not having correctly applied the community standards set out in the directive on the incineration of dangerous waste. It also decided to send Austria a reasoned opinion enjoining them to ensure the full transposition of directives on the incineration of urban waste. Should there not be a satisfactory response within two months, the Commission may decide to take Austria before the Court of Justice.
The Commission considers that Austria has neither fully nor correctly transposed the directive setting the standards for the incineration of dangerous waste into national law. It has therefore decided to take this Member State before the Court of Justice. The problems concern different issues, one being the inadequate transposition by Austria of standards relating to cement production sites (which also burn dangerous waste) and the fact that this country has not correctly transposed the provisional provisions applicable to existing sites.
The directives on new and existing sites for the incineration of municipal waste set standards applicable to these sites. When evaluating Austrian legislation, the Commission considered that it also presented problems. Austria has not transposed standards set out in the two directives concerning incineration sites, which are governed by Federal law and the laws of the Länder on waste management and the industry's federal code. The Commission stresses that the federal law on air purity and the related regulations also present some minor but nonetheless sizeable gaps.