Conservative MEP wins support for mandatory Europe-wide recycling targets
Posted, April 09, 2008 @ 00:00
Brussels, 9th April-- Mandatory recycling targets may be applied to all local councils after Dr Caroline Jackson MEP won overwhelming backing for amendments to the Waste Framework Directive yesterday (Tuesday). This is the first time that the European Parliament has intervened to insert such targets and reflects the Environment Committee's concern that recycling must accompany incineration in order to process waste diverted from landfill.
The new targets stipulate that EU Member States must achieve a recycling rate of 50% for household and similar waste by 2020, and 70% for construction and demolition waste by the same date.
MEPs also voted to set an EU wide waste prevention target. This means that by 2012, Member States will have had to stabilise the amount of waste they are producing to an amount no higher than they produced in 2008.
Dr Jackson, Conservative spokesperson on the environment in the European Parliament, said
"These targets are very important. Recycling represents a sustainable way of dealing with waste and many countries need to put more effort into developing recycling schemes. EU targets will be a considerable incentive to countries whose recycling schemes are slow to develop.
"I was delighted that my colleagues voted for energy from waste plants to qualify as 'recovery' rather than 'disposal' operations when they meet the energy efficiency criteria that the new directive sets out.
Caroline Jackson now hopes that the Parliament will give its agreement to the directive for the final vote in June.