WRITTEN QUESTION P-0903/97 by Phillip Whitehead (PSE) to the Commission (5 March 1997)

Subject: Environmental and health impact of animal waste

What action is the Commission taking to assess the potential environmental and health impact of the incineration and landfill of animal waste?

Is the Commission funding any research into this issue?

What action is the Commission taking to coordinate the research efforts in the Member States?

Answer given by Mrs Bjerregaard on behalf of the Commission (11 April 1997)

Directive 85/337/EEC on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment (environmental impact assessment (EIA) Directive ((OJ L 175, 5.7.1985. ))) provides for a mandatory environmental assessment of activities listed in its annex I. Waste-disposal installations for the incineration, chemical treatment or land fill of toxic and dangerous wastes are part of annex I and must, as a consequence, be the subject of an EIA in every case. Directive 97/11/EC ((OJ L 73, 14.3.1997. )), amending Directive 85/337/EEC extends the mandatory EIA activities of annex I considerably and provides additionally to the existing Directive for an EIA of waste disposal installations for the incineration or chemical treatment of non-hazardous waste with a capacity exceeding 100 tonnes per day.

Under Article 4 of Directive 75/442/EEC ((OJ L 194, 25.7.1975. )), as amended by Directive 91/156/EEC ((OJ L 78, 26.3.1991. )), on waste, Member States have to take the necessary measures to ensure that waste is recovered or disposed of without endangering human health and without using processes or methods which could harm the environment, and in particular without risk to water, air, soil and plants and animals; without causing nuisance through noise or odours; and without adversely affecting the countryside or places of special interest.

The law applicable to animal waste containing pathogens is Directive 90/667/EEC ((OJ L 363, 27.12.1990. )) laying down the veterinary rules for the disposal and processing of animal waste, for its placing on the market and for the prevention of pathogens in foodstuffs of animal or fish origin and amending Directive 90/425/EEC ((OJ L 224, 18.8.1990. )).

As far as research in this field is concerned, some related projects have been funded within the framework of the agriculture and agro-industry programme (AIR) programme and the ongoing specific programme for research, technological and development and demonstration in the field of agriculture (FAIR) programme. These research projects deal with treatment of farm slurries and and agro-industrial wastes to reduce the environmental impact and improve the valorisation of such wastes.