Brussels, 22/02/2002 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission has decided to pursue infringement proceedings initiated against several Member States for persistently not complying with Community legislation in the field of the environment. Here are the details:
Chemical products: France will be hauled before the Court of Justice (Article 226) for failing to transpose the directive on biocide products (98/8EC). France, Luxembourg, Germany, the United Kingdom and Greece will receive reasoned opinions for failing to transpose in time an amendment to the directive on hazardous substances (2000/32/EC). Greece and Austria will receive reasoned opinions for failing to transpose the same directive and directive 2000/21/EC on hazardous substances.
Quality of water - Surface water: France will receive a letter of warning under Article 228 for failing to carry out a Court ruling (too much nitrate in Brittany); - treatment of residual urban water: Greece will be hauled before the Court of Justice twice for failing to comply with the directive in two cases (region of Elefsina and Athens) and receive a reasoned opinion for failing to designate the Gulf of Thermaikos as sensitive area. Germany will be hauled before the Court of Justice for inadequate transposition of provisions relating to the surveillance of implementing measures; Quality of water intended for human consumption: Luxembourg, Belgium, Spain and the United Kingdom will be hauled before the Court for failing to transpose the new directive in time; Shellfish waters: Ireland will be hauled before the Court for failing in its obligation to adopt and communicate its anti-pollution programmes.
Waste: Italy will be hauled before the Court of Justice for infringing the directive on sewage sludge; the United Kingdom will be hauled before the Court twice for incorrectly transposing the framework-directive (91156EEC) and the directive on hazardous waste (91/689/EEC). Germany will be taken to Court for infringing the "Hazardous Waste" Directive (German legislation does not use common Community terminology) and "Transfer of Waste" (infringement noted in Thuringen).
Austria will be cited three times before the Court for incorrectly transposing the directive of PCB and PCT (96/59/EC), the framework-directive on hazardous waste; it will also receive a reasoned opinion for incorrectly transposing the directive on used oil (Directive 87/101/EEC).