WRITTEN QUESTION E-4460/09 by Kriton Arsenis (S-D) to the Commission

Subject: Waste management in the Region

The Peloponnese Region is in a particularly difficult situation as far as the management of urban and other waste is concerned. For some time, the bundling of waste has been planned as a solution throughout the Region in order to avoid paying the fines provided for in the European Court of Justice's judgement of 6 October 2005. This is borne out by a number of circumstances, in particular:

 the supply of waste bundling firms;  plans to identify sites for the installation of bundling firms, in particular a site within a NATURA area in the municipality of which has been destroyed by fire and an archaeological site in the municipality of Loutraki-Perachora;  the drawing up of an environmental assessment for at least two waste bundling sites (the municipality of Pylos, in the prefecture of Messinia and the municipality of Ermionida in the prefecture of ).

On the basis of the above, will the Commission say:

(a) Is it aware of any changes in the Regional Waste Plan for the Peloponnese Region, given the plans to implement the solution of waste bundling? In particular, has an overall assessment been carried out of the environmental impact for the Region and has the proper authorisation procedure been followed?

(b) If not, is it in keeping with Community legislation that authorisation should be granted for waste bundling sites without any prior change in the Regional Waste Plan?

(c) If so, does it know which will be the sites finally chosen for bundled waste in the Region?

(d) Does it know the Peloponnese Region's forecast for the final disposal of waste within the time scale provided for in Directive 1999/31/EC?

789939.EN PE 428.523