EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - The huge rise in illegal waste shipments in recent years, Europe's thousands of illegal landfills, particularly in Italy and France, and the poor quality of waste management infrastructure in many member states means that a dedicated European Union agency devoted to waste is required, the commission has concluded. The number of illegal shipments of waste to developing countries has increased dramatically in recent years As much as a fifth of waste shipments that have been inspected in the bloc are illegal, according to a new Brussels report. Calling the increase in waste shipments in the last two decades "dramatic," the document notes that exports of waste paper by the EU15 - the older members of the bloc ahead of the eastern enlargement in 2004 - from 1995 to 2005 increased increased more than five-fold and those of waste plastic, seven-fold. Hazardous waste, the report notes, is often shipped to developing countries with poor waste management facilities, while electrical waste is shipped as second-hand goods. "Illegal dumping of waste continues on a significant scale, many landfill sites are sub standard and in some member states, basic waste infrastructure is still missing. Illegal waste shipments are also a concern," reads the report.
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - The huge rise in illegal waste shipments in recent years, Europe's thousands of illegal landfills, particularly in Italy and France, and the poor quality of waste management infrastructure in many member states means that a dedicated European Union agency devoted to waste is required, the commission has concluded.
The number of illegal shipments of waste to developing countries has increased dramatically in recent years
As much as a fifth of waste shipments that have been inspected in the bloc are illegal, according to a new Brussels report. Calling the increase in waste shipments in the last two decades "dramatic," the document notes that exports of waste paper by the EU15 - the older members of the bloc ahead of the eastern enlargement in 2004 - from 1995 to 2005 increased increased more than five-fold and those of waste plastic, seven-fold. Hazardous waste, the report notes, is often shipped to developing countries with poor waste management facilities, while electrical waste is shipped as second-hand goods.
"Illegal dumping of waste continues on a significant scale, many landfill sites are sub standard and in some member states, basic waste infrastructure is still missing. Illegal waste shipments are also a concern," reads the report.
