action to curb incineration.
If the EuroParl had done what our Green MPs suggested, then it would have
made it harder and less attractive for Norfolk County Council to build an
incinerator at King's Lynn (or at Costessey, still not 100% out of the
question). Unfortunately, they didn't...
SOUTH EAST GREEN EURO-MP LABELS EU VOTE ON DIRECTIVE A 'WASTED OPPORTUNITY'
A plenary vote in the European Parliament today, which sealed an agreement
on a second Council reading for the crucial EU Waste Framework Directive,
was little more than a 'wasted opportunity', said the South East's Green MEP
Caroline Lucas.
Dr Lucas MEP said: "This patchwork compromise containing both positive and
negative elements is a major lost opportunity to have made real progress on
waste prevention. As well as promoting incineration, the compromise also
includes two potential loopholes that are likely to haunt us in the future.
"It introduces new definitions for 'by-products' and when 'waste ceases to
be a waste'. This creates possibilities to unduly escape waste legislation
and may well lead to a new series of court cases."
She continued: "Today's compromise means that instead of EU waste
stabilisation and reduction targets we only get Commission studies on waste
prevention. Instead of clear and ambitious targets for waste reuse and
recycling, we get non-binding targets for 2020 that many Member States have
already achieved.
"And rather than establishing separate collection and composting of
bio-waste, this is left to the goodwill of Member States - and subject to
yet another Commission study.
"The compromise is also a missed opportunity for climate change policy. An
ambitious European waste policy could and should make an important
contribution to reducing CO2 emissions through consequent waste prevention,
recycling, and the composting of bio-waste - but the political will is
unfortunately still lacking to make this happen."
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