Press Release: Dedicated EU body needed to ensure enforcement of European waste law, says Commission study

A European Commission study published on 1 February 2010 recommends setting up a dedicated European body to oversee the implementation and enforcement of EU waste law. The study is part of a series of steps being taken by the Commission to improve waste management and ensure it meets the standards set by EU legislation to protect citizens and the environment. Illegal dumping of waste continues on a significant scale, many landfill sites are sub standard and in some Member States basic waste infrastructure is still missing. Illegal waste shipments are also a concern. A second report also published on 1 February 2010 reveals that almost one fifth of waste shipments inspected as part of recent enforcement actions in Member States were illegal.