ENVIRONMENT: COMMISSION ACTS ON CHEMICALS AGAINST FOUR MEMBER STATES.

Summary: The European Commission has sent off reasoned opinions to Belgium, Germany, Greece and Portugal, all accused of failing to notify it of implementing legislation for two Community Directives relating to the classification, packaging and labelling of dangerous substances. The Commission has also decided to make an application to Court of Justice against Portugal, accused of failing to give correct effect to the EU's Waste Oils Directive.

The Commission has taken its infringement proceedings against Belgium, Greece and Portugal a stage further for their failure to transpose onto national statute books Directive 96/54/EEC adapting to technical progress Council Directive 67/548/EEC on the approximation of laws, regulations and administrative provisions relating to the classification, packaging and labelling of dangerous substances, and Directive 96/56/EC amending Directive 67/548/EEC. The reasoned opinion dispatched to Bonn concerns non-compliance with Directive 96/56/EC. Directive 67/548/EEC is one of the oldest pieces of Community environmental legislation and aims to ensure a common approach across the EU to the classification, packaging and labelling of...