Press Release: Environment: Commission starts legal action against 14 Member States over landfill directive

The European Commission has decided to start legal action against 14 Member States for inadequately transposing the EU's legislation on the landfilling of waste into their national law. It sent first warning letters to seven Member States in December 2006, and is now doing the same for Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Ireland, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the UK. The Commission's action follows a comprehensive evaluation of the degree of compliance with the landfill directive by all the EU-25 Member States. The directive governs operation of landfill sites and is a key measure to protect human health and the environment against potential hazards from waste.