Offending member states could be forced to clean up their act by European waste tsar

Posted by Bronwen Maher on February 03, 2010 at 03:53 PM

Consistent failures by EU Members States, including Ireland, to implement and enforce EU waste law means that the European Commission has now set its sights on forming a powerful new body with the powers to directly inspect and take strong action against waste facilities that do not meet EU standards, Nessa Childers MEP has said.

Labour’s MEP for Ireland East who is a member of the European Parliament’s Environment Committee welcomed the proposed move which was recommended by a European Commission study published this week.

She said, “A powerful waste tsar is just what’s needed to get Europe and Ireland to clean up its act. This study and the concrete proposals contained therein are to be welcomed. Ireland has a particularly poor record in transposing and implementing EU environmental legislation, including elements of EU waste law.

“In information recently forwarded by the Minister for the Environment to my colleague Joanna Tuffy T.D. in reply to a Parliamentary Question, Minister Gormley revealed Ireland faced 31 cases for failing to implement or transpose EU legislation last year. Several of these cases related to compliance with EU waste law.

“What these figures mean is that Ireland is one of the very worst offenders when it comes to compliance with EU environmental laws and directives, coming in only slightly behind Italy and Spain, which faced 34 cases each.

“Ireland has an ignominious record when it comes to compliance with EU environmental law. Ironically, and with a Green Party Minister who says he’s in charge, we should not have to be dragged kicking and screaming to fully enforce the laws we willingly signed up to.

“Fundamentally, compliance with EU legislation is essential if we are to achieve the overarching goal of EU waste legislation, which is to protect the health of European citizens and the environment.

“I welcome the fact that the European Commission has recognised that the patchy and inconsistent level of compliance across the EU requires centralised European action and I look forward to further examining the case for a new EU agency on the implementation and enforcement of our waste laws.”

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