91999E2032

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2032/99

by Inger Schörling (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(3 November 1999)

Subject: Drinks packaging

The consumption of drinks packaging in the EU is very high and is damaging the environment. Has the Commission done anything to promote reusable drinks packaging, for instance? If so, how much money has it made available? How does it view the prospects for introducing an EU-wide system of standard returnable packaging that can be reused anywhere in the EU? Has it any idea of how much drinks packaging is consumed in the EU every day?

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(4 January 2000)

The encouragement of reuse systems of packaging in the Member States is one of the measures foreseen by Council Directive 94/62/EC of 20 December 1994 on packaging and packaging waste(1) in order to prevent or reduce the environmental impact of packaging waste provided that the packaging can be reused in an environmentally sound manner in conformity with the EC Treaty. However, no specific financial instrument has been foreseen for this purpose at Community level.

The setting up of a European system for reuse is a rather complex issue where several aspects (standardisation, transport distances) play a role. This makes it difficult to harmonise the existing reuse systems, which have historically developed along different lines. Moreover, the need to ensure a high level of environmental protection has to be combined with internal market rules.

As a first step in view of the promotion of reuse systems, the Commission launched a study aimed at describing the present situation and the constraints which hamper the further development of reuse systems. The study was completed recently and is available on the web site: http://www.europa.eu.int/comm/environment/waste/report4.htm. The contents of this study express the opinion of its authors.

The Commission will take advantage of the revision process of Directive 94/62/EC, which should start before the end of 1999, to improve the reuse systems of packaging in the Member States.

According to the most recent data, the total quantity of packaging waste in the Community is about 61 million tonnes per year, of which 14 million tonnes for liquid beverage containers (11 million tonnes glass, 1 million tonnes plastics, 1 million tonnes metals and 1 million tonnes beverage composites).

(1) OJ L 365, 31.12.1994.