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You are here: BAILII >> Databases >> Court of Justice of the European Communities (including Court of First Instance Decisions) >> Fornasar & Ors (Environment and consumers) [2000] EUECJ C-318/98 (22 June 2000) URL: http://www.bailii.org/eu/cases/EUECJ/2000/C31898.html Cite as: [2000] EUECJ C-318/98 |
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JUDGMENT OF THE COURT (Sixth Chamber)
22 June 2000 (1)
(Waste - Definition of hazardous waste - Directive 91/689/EEC - Decision 94/904/EC - More stringent measures of protection )
In Case C-318/98,
REFERENCE to the Court under Article 177 of the EC Treaty (now Article 234 EC) by the Pretura Circondariale di Udine, Sezione Distaccata di Cividale del Friuli, Italy, for a preliminary ruling in the criminal proceedings before that court against
Giancarlo Fornasar,
Andrea Strizzolo,
Giancarlo Toso,
Lucio Mucchino,
Enzo Peressutti
and
Sante Chiarcosso,
on the interpretation of Article 1(4) of Council Directive 91/689/EEC of 12 December 1991 on hazardous waste (OJ 1991 L 377 p. 20) and Council Decision 94/904/EC of 22 December 1994 establishing a list of hazardous waste pursuant to Article 1(4) of Directive 91/689 (OJ 1994 L 356, p. 14),
THE COURT (Sixth Chamber),
composed of: R. Schintgen, President of the Second Chamber, acting for the President of the Sixth Chamber, P.J.G. Kapteyn and H. Ragnemalm (Rapporteur), Judges,
Advocate General: G. Cosmas,
Registrar: L. Hewlett, Administrator,
after considering the written observations submitted on behalf of:
- Messrs Mucchino and Peressutti, by C. Pagano, of the Genoa Bar, and R. Cattarini, of the Monfalcone Bar,
- the German Government, by W.-D. Plessing, Ministerialrat at the Federal Ministry of the Economy, and C.-D. Quassowski, Regierungsdirektor at the same Ministry, acting as Agents,
- the Netherlands Government, by M.A. Fierstra, Deputy Legal Adviser at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, acting as Agent,
- the Austrian Government, by C. Stix-Hackl, Gesandte in the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, acting as Agent,
- the Commission of the European Communities, by P. Stancanelli and L. Ström, of its Legal Service, acting as Agents,
having regard to the Report for the Hearing,
after hearing the oral observations of Messrs Mucchino and Peressutti, represented by C. Pagano; of the Italian Government, represented by L. Daniele, of the Trieste Bar; and of the Commission, represented by P. Stancanelli, at the hearing on 6 July 1999
after hearing the Opinion of the Advocate General at the sitting on 30 September 1999,
gives the following
Community rules
'For the purpose of this Directive hazardous waste means:
- wastes featuring on a list to be drawn up in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 18 of Directive 75/442/EEC on the basis of Annexes I and II to this Directive, not later than six months before the date of implementation of this Directive. These wastes must have one or more of the properties listed in Annex III. The list shall take into account the origin and composition of the waste and, where necessary, limit values of concentration. This list shall be periodically reviewed and if necessary [revised] by the same procedure,
- any other waste which is considered by a Member State to display any of the properties listed in Annex III. Such cases shall be notified to the Commission and reviewed in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 18 of Directive 75/442/EEC with a view to adaptation of the list.
National rules
'Hazardous waste is non-domestic waste specified in the list contained in Annex D on the basis of Annexes G, H and I.
The facts of the main proceedings and the questions referred to the Court
'(1) For the purposes of classifying waste as hazardous within the meaning of Article 1(4) of Council Directive 91/689/EEC and Council Decision 904/94, is it necessary in each particular case to identify the origin of the waste, referred to for purposes of classification by the list of hazardous waste adopted in that decision, or is it sufficient for such purposes that, by reason of its composition, the substance can only be used in theory in a given production process, or is derived as a final product from that process?
(2) Is the list adopted by Council Decision 904/94 exhaustive, so that waste which is not referred to in the list, but which nevertheless displays the characteristics referred to in Annexes I, II and III to Directive 91/689/EEC, is excluded?
(3) If the Court finds that the list of hazardous waste is not exhaustive, must automatic addition of hazardous waste to the list be deemed to operate on the basis of Annexes I, II and III to Directive 91/689/EEC?
(4) For the purposes of Article 1(4), second indent, of Directive 91/689/EEC, what procedure must an individual Member State follow in classifying as hazardous waste other than that on the list adopted by Council Decision 904/94 which exhibits one of the characteristics set out in Annex III to the directive? What body is competent to make the assessment and subsequently notify the Commission?
(5) Can the judicial authorities of an individual Member State also be required to notify the Commission?
(6) Under Community legislation, is diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI) to be classified as hazardous waste or not?
Admissibility and jurisdiction of the Court
The second, third, fourth and fifth questions
The first question
Costs
58. The costs incurred by the Italian, German, Netherlands and Austrian Governments and by the Commission, which have submitted observations to the Court, are not recoverable. Since these proceedings are, for the parties to the main proceedings, a step in the action pending before the national court, the decision on costs is a matter for that court.
On those grounds,
THE COURT (Sixth Chamber),
in answer to the questions referred to it by the Pretura Circondariale di Udine, Sezione Distaccata di Cividale del Friuli, by order of 16 July 1998, hereby rules:
1. Council Directive 91/689/EEC of 12 December 1991 on hazardous waste does not prevent the Member States, including, for matters within their jurisdiction, the courts, from classifying as hazardous waste other than that featuring on the list of hazardous waste laid down by Council Decision 94/904/EC of 22 December 1994 establishing a list of hazardous waste pursuant to Article 1(4) of Council Directive 91/689, and thus from adopting more stringent protective measures in order to prohibit the abandonment, dumping or uncontrolled disposal of such waste. If they doso, it is for the authorities of the Member State concerned which have competence under national law to notify the Commission of such cases in accordance with the second indent of Article 1(4) of Directive 91/689.
2. Article 1(4) of Directive 91/689 and Decision 94/904 must be interpreted as meaning that it is not a necessary precondition for waste to be classified, in a specific case, as hazardous, that its origin be determined.
Schintgen
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Delivered in open court in Luxembourg on 22 June 2000.
R. Grass J.C. Moitinho de Almeida
Registrar President of the Sixth Chamber
1: Language of the case: Italian.