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Parliamentary question - E-003423/2017Parliamentary question
E-003423/2017
European Parliament

End-of-waste status for solid recovered fuel (SRF)

19.5.2017

Answer in writing

Question for written answer E-003423-17
to the Commission
Rule 130
Piernicola Pedicini (EFDD) , Ignazio Corrao (EFDD) , David Borrelli (EFDD)

Italy granted certain categories of solid recovered fuel (SRF) end-of-waste status in Decree No 22/2013 of 14 February 2013.

Burning SRF in plants, such as cement factories, that are not technologically designed for this purpose produces more heavy metal emissions than when SRF is burnt in traditional incinerators, and more than when cement factories burn just fossil fuels.

This is contrary to Article 6(1)(d) of Directive 2008/98/EC according to which waste ceases to be waste when no overall adverse environmental or human health impacts result from its use. What is more, burning SRF infringes the precautionary principle laid down in Article 191 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.

In its answer to a parliamentary question[1], the Commission maintained that ‘such practice would not lead, in principle, to an overall adverse environmental or human health impacts.’

Legally, this answer is not admissible since the point at issue is the possible infringement of an article in a directive. Could the Commission provide further clarification?

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