After weeks of internal debate, the European Commission this week finally adopted a revised proposal for a directive on the disposal of waste in landfill sites

Date: 06/03/1997

A 1991 draft was withdrawn last year in the face of fierce opposition from MEPs. For the first time, the plan sets binding targets for cuts in the amount of biodegradable waste which can be disposed of underground. Environment Commissioner Ritt Bjerregaard claimed the plan would “ensure high uniform standards for the disposal of waste” and would end the practice of burying toxic and non-toxic rubbish together.