The European Parliament adopts a resolution which addresses issues raised by citizens on waste management

A report approved by the European Parliament addresses the 114 complaints from EU citizens in 2004-2010 alleging breaches of EU law on waste treatment. At the resolution, MEPs ask for major investments to set up proper waste management facilities, and also but more efficient waste processing.

MEPs adopted in plenary session a resolution in which it is highlighted that managing waste properly is expensive, but if done efficiently it can attract investment and create jobs. According to the resolution, the recycling industry offers a potential of up to half a million while ensuring respect for the environment through reuse, recycling and recovery of energy from waste. In fact, the Commission recently published a report which stressed that full implementation of EU waste legislation could save €72 billion a year.

Parliament calls for measures to combat any infiltration of waste management by organised crime and to prevent any connections between criminal organisations and industry or public authorities. On the other hand, MEPs also call on Member States to apply all EU laws on waste management without further delay, and in particular the 2008 framework directive on waste, which sets recycling, reuse and recovery targets and introduces national management plans and prevention programmes. Furthermore, lack of properly trained staff at local and regional level, failure to allocate enough resources, as well as a fine system, and lack of proper controls at EU level are Member States' main problems.

In addition, Parliament calls on the Commission to propose clearer and more specific criteria for the location of landfills. According to the resolution, this would reduce potential risks to public health and the environment. MEPs also propose a common EU standard for colour-coding categories of waste for sorting and recycling. This would make it easier for citizens to understand waste processing and would help increase recycling rates.