Afvalcrisis in Campanië: tijd om te verminderen, opnieuw te gebruiken en te recyclen (en)
An integrated waste management plan, giving priority to waste reduction, re-use and recycling, should be put in place to prevent a new waste crisis in the Campania region, say a series of recommendations approved by the Petitions Committee on Thursday following a fact-finding mission last April.
The plan points out that "successive national governments of different hues and commissioners have not managed to solve this deep-rooted problem". For that reason, MEPs consider that it is not useful at this point to apportion blame.
The Petitions Committee warns that the waste crisis in Campania is not over, but "it lies dormant, with a high risk that it could erupt again". To prevent it doing so, MEPs recommend an integrated waste management plan, which gives priority to waste prevention, reduction, re-use and recycling and to the organisation of separated waste collection. The plan should also include cleaning polluted areas, benchmarks for measuring progress and training and support facilities for local authorities and operators.
Dialogue with citizens to be enhanced
The plan describes a "total breakdown" in communications between citizens and authorities and a "deficit in democracy" in the Campania region. Dialogue between citizens and the authorities must be rebuilt, say MEPs, noting that military supervision is "counterproductive to transparency or any reasonable perception of normality".
Adequate budget
The plan also calls for appropriate funding to be allocated by the Italian national and regional authorities to finance new recycling plants and special waste separation sites.
The European Commission decided in 2007 to suspend payment of €135 million in EU contributions from the 2006-2013 financing period to waste-related projects in Campania and a further €10.5 million from the 2000-2006 one. The EU has requested a detailed road-map and a timeline before resuming financial support. However, MEPs say that the suspended funds should be used to help kick-start the roll out, provided that Italy is able to show "real effort and ambition to comply with EU law". The Petitions Committee pledges to follow developments closely and return to the region in late 2011 or early 2012.
Tougher penalties needed
Only officially accredited landfill sites, compatible with the EU Landfill Directive, should be used. Their location should be clearly indicated and all other sites must be phased out and declared illegal. Penalties for the uncontrolled dumping of waste should be substantially increased as a deterrent, say the recommendations.
Background
A waste emergency was declared in Campania in 1994. In that year, a waste commissioner with special powers and funds was appointed to oversee a move away from the use of landfills to an integrated waste management cycle. However, progress in waste reduction and recycling has been minimal since then (e.g. inhabitants of Naples currently produce an average of 2.2 kg waste/day, compared to the EU average of 1.4 kg). Besides, according to the report, a large majority of landfills are privately run and many are said to be under the control of criminal groups such as the Camorra.
In 2008, during the most recent waste emergency, a law was introduced to fix compulsory recycling targets and declare waste sites as of "strategic interest", putting them under military control. In February 2010, the Campania region ended 15 years of emergency waste management, and transferred responsibility for supervising the waste cycle back to the regional government.
Italy was found guilty by the European Court of Justice in 2007 and 2010 of infringing EU waste management and storage laws.
Fact-finding mission
The Committee on Petitions delegation, led by Judith A. Merkies (S&D, NL), visited Campania from 28 to 30 April to investigate the allegations made in 15 complaints.
In the chair: Erminia Mazzoni (EPP, IT)