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The Minister for Taxation gives thirty Replies to Removal of PVC-Taxation
Rigid PVC can be used without environmental problems, the Danish EPA points out
12-02-2004
In connection with the committee treatment of the bill on PVC taxation in the Danish Parliament, the Taxation Committee has got no less than thirty questions to reply to before the bill can have its second reading in the Parliament. Most of the questions the Minster for Taxation has submitted to the Minister for the Environment, who has again asked the Environment Protection Agency about their position.
The thirty questions that have now been replied to are touching a number of crucial issues about collection and recycling of rigid PVC.
According to one of the questions the EPA shall give an answer to whether it might be considered environmentally justified producing products in rigid PVC. The EPA replies that if the waste is being collected and treated environmentally justified, rigid PVC can be used without any environmental problems. The EPA also says that an active collection and recycling arrangement is a more efficient means of steering than taxes, since the PVC waste in this case will be kept away from the incinerators.
Whether it is environmentally justified to recycle lead containing PVC waste, is also a question that is being replied to. Here it is also the EPA who gives the answer. The EPA says that during the coming year it will be assessed whether there is a basis for a permission to use lead in recycled drain pipes.
One of the crucial questions is, how it can be secured that the municipalities, that are not included in the recycling arrangement of the trade, WUPPI, are treating their PVC waste correctly. The Minister for Taxation submits the question to the Minister for the Environment, who states that there are eighty-five municipalities out of 275 today that have not entered into any agreement with WUPPI. The Minister for the Environment consider this not acceptable, and he replies the Taxation Committee that this shall be settled as soon as possible. Thus the Minister for the Environment has asked the EPA to approach the municipalities that have not yet entered into any agreement with WUPPI. He has asked the municipalities for a written explanation before 1 April 2004, in which they have to declare how they are living up to their obligations to ensure a recycling of PVC waste.
Many of the questions to the Minister for Taxation touch issues as to how the financing of the WUPPI organization hangs together. The questioners have shown great interest in learning how big a share of the collection and recycling expenses the municipalities are going to pay, and how big a share the companies behind WUPPI are paying. The Minister for the Environment replies that according to the action plan, he has drawn up in co-operation with WUPPI, it has been agreed that WUPPI shall assist with information to make a basis for an analysis of the socioeconomic consequences of collection and recycling of rigid PVC.
The minister informs that a socioeconomic analysis, that clarifies the environmental and socioeconomic consequences of the use of different forms of handling PVC waste, is already on the way. It is about a comparison between the Stigsnæs process, the Watech process, incineration and landfill. An analysis of the socioeconomic consequences of the WUPPI process will be made upon the finalization of this study.
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