The EU Commission has announced that waste laws are poorly implemented and enforced in many Member States. The reports adopted by the Commission show that significant changes must be made in order to ensure that waste management meets the correct standards.
Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas said, ‘Proper implementation of waste legislation is vital for the protection of our environment and health. Having legislation in place is not enough: the rules have to work in practice. Unfortunately, insufficient importance is attached to the enforcement of waste laws. The Commission receives regular complaints from citizens and the European Parliament regarding the bad management of waste. Member States must take the implementation of waste legislation seriously. We need to manage our waste properly so that we preserve our resources, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and protect the health of citizens. The Commission will step up its efforts to assist Member States in better implementation.’
The research shows that the Waste Framework Directive, the Landfill Directive and the Waste Shipment Regulation are being poorly implemented. The problem lies in the fact that waste treatment options are unavailable and waste is not separated before collection. Targets for reuse, recovery and recycling of WEEE, vehicles and packaging are not being met, and illegal shipments of waste are frequent.
In light of the fact that adherence to EU law would decrease greenhouse gas emissions by 30%, offer significant opportunities for companies to access valuable secondary raw materials, and decrease the currently high costs of cleaning up illegal dump sites – poor implementation of the law is costing the EU dearly in terms of social, economic and environmental benefits.
