Question for written answer E-003319/2022
to the Commission
Rule 138
Cláudia Monteiro de Aguiar (PPE), Álvaro Amaro (PPE), Maria da Graça Carvalho (PPE), Lídia Pereira (PPE), José Manuel Fernandes (PPE), Paulo Rangel (PPE)
Regulation (EU) 1069/2009 is clear in its goal: preventing the spread of animal diseases. However, the way it applies to waste from catering on international flights arriving in the EU prevents airlines from separating or recycling this waste. EU legislation requires all Category 1 material to be disposed of by incineration or by burial in a landfill. There is no common EU approach, so practices vary from one Member State to another. Directive (EU) 2019/904 encourages the phasing out of single-use plastics in favour of sustainable alternatives, but if bio-based alternative materials from international flights are not processed properly, the benefits of the circular economy will go to waste.
1. Does the Commission believe Regulation (EU) 1069/2009 to be fit for purpose, particularly taking into account the EU’s goal to move towards a fully circular economy?
2. Will the Commission publish the quantitative risk assessment concluding that catering waste represents an added biological risk to animal health (Category 1) and that products from international flights cannot be reused or recycled without endangering animal health?
3. If no such risk assessment has been done, will the Commission consider carrying one out, bearing in mind the issues outlined above?