Return of the landfill directive
15 Jan 2000
The European Union's landfill directive, which was quashed by the European Parliament last May, is about to make a comeback. The Commission is currently redrafting the directive, although one set of proposals has already been rejected.
The directive was intended to limit emissions of methane, produced by decomposing organic waste, from landfill sites. The commission's original proposal would have banned the landfill of any waste containing more than 10 per cent organic matter. This, however, would have meant that municipal waste would have required pre-treatment, such as incineration, before landfilling. Several states which use landfills as the main method of municipal waste disposal opposed this, particularly Britain, whose incineration capacity is currently stretched to the limit after several units had to be closed - ironically, to comply with EU environmental regulations.
The new proposals would have allowed waste of up to 20 per cent organic content to be landfilled without pretreatment. However, trade commissioner Leon Brittan has blocked these proposals, and the commission is now changing tack. The newest draft would gradually reduce the proportion of organic matter in landfill-bound waste. By 2002, no more than three-quarters of landfilled waste must be organic; by 2005, a half; and by 2010, a quarter. Member states will be responsible for formulating strategies to reach these goals.
As PE went to press, the commissioners were considering their response to the proposals ahead of a forthcoming meeting of the `college of commissioners'.
