Brussels, 22/03/2007 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday, the European Commission launched a string of court cases against member states for failing to respect EU environmental law.
14 member states, for example, are being taken to court for failing to properly transpose into national legislation the EU landfill directive, namely Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Ireland, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the UK. Warning letters had already been sent to seven other member states in this connection (Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Portugal).
Spain is also in the European Commission's firing line. The Commission has sent Spain a final written warning for failing to respect a European Court of Justice ruling failing to comply with a Court of Justice (ECJ) ruling on the illegal disposal of waste at a site at Punta de Avalos in La Gomera (the Canary Islands). If the Spanish response to the Commission's letter is unsatisfactory, the Commission may ask the ECJ to impose financial penalties on Spain. In another case, the Commission is sending Spain a warning letter for failing to comply with directives on the protection of natural habitats (a final warning letter concerning works for the widening and upgrading of the M-501 road in the Madrid Region and a warning for failing to respect the EU directive on the protection of natural habitats when implementing the national infrastructure and transport plan). The Commission is also sending Spain a first written warning for failing to apply the EU directive aimed at preventing the negative effects of landfill sites.
The Commission is taking Portugal to the Court of Justice for falling to properly implement various EU rules on the treatment of urban sewage. It is also sending Portugal warning letters over failing to implement three Court of Justice rulings on drinking water, the construction of a section of the A2 motorway through an important natural protection area (Castro Verde in the Alentejo region) and unjustified changes to another protected area (the Special Protection Area of Moura-Morao-Barrancos in the Alentejo region) respectively.
The European Commission is also launching legal proceedings against Greece for failing to comply with three environment and public health measures. It has sent Greece a letter of formal notice for falling to fully apply a Court of Justice ruling which noted great gaps in Greek legislation transposing the EU ozone layer protection regulation. The Commission is also issuing proceedings against Greece in two other cases. The first concerns failure to properly implement its duty to properly protect Special Protection Areas under the Wild Birds Directive and the second on failure to meet notification obligations regarding important areas of the EU Water Framework Directive.
The Commission is launching proceedings against 6 member states for failing to supply the required information under the EU's strategy to climate change (Bulgaria, Estonia, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg and Malta). Luxembourg will be taken to the Court of Justice and Estonia and Greece will be sent a reasoned opinion for failing to provide important technical information about their greenhouse gas emission reduction targets under the Kyoto Protocol. The remaining cases concern member states which have failed to provide full reports on their progress in cutting or limiting greenhouse gas emissions. (ol)