Brussels, 08/07/2002 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission has decided to launch infringement proceedings against various Member States which persist in failing to respect Community environment legislation. The violations and infringement proceedings follow:
Noise pollution. Italy and Greece will be taken to the European Court of Justice (third stage of the proceedings under Article 226 of the Treaty) for failing to implement properly Directive 2000/14/EC limiting noise emissions from certain outdoor equipment and aiming to harmonise noise levels form a wide range of equipment used outdoors (chainsaws, concrete mixers, mobile and tower cranes, dumper trucks, hydraulic excavators, refuse collection vehicles and garden equipment such as lawnmowers, hedge trimmers etc) to protect citizens from health problems due to noise levels.
The UK will be sent a Reasoned Opinion (second stage of infringement proceedings) for failing to apply the same directive to Gibraltar. If the UK fails to comply with the Reasoned Opinion within two months, the Commission may decide to bring the case before the European Court of Justice.
Air quality. Italy, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Greece, Spain will be taken to the Court of Justice because they have still not adopted and communicated to the Commission all the necessary measure to transpose Directive 1999/13/EC on emissions of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) into national law. Austria will be sent a Reasoned Opinion for a similar failure to implement the Directive.
Spain and the UK will be taken to the Court of Justice for persistently failing to transpose into national law the new air quality limits for sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, particulates and lead under Directive 1999/30/EC (as far as the UK is concerned, this only applies to failure to transpose the measures in Gibraltar).
Italy will be taken to the Court of Justice if it persists in authorising the use of hydrofluorocarbons as firefighting chemicals since this is banned under Regulation 2037/200 on ozone pollution.
Austria will be taken to the Court of Justice as a result of the non-compliance of its legislation with the Ozone Directive. While it has prepared a draft law to meet EU legislation, it will not come into force until November 2002. It will also be sent a Reasoned Opinion for failure to transpose Directive 88/609/EEC on cutting emission of pollutants from large combustion plants.