§ Mr. StunellTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will propose measures to the EU Environment Council to reduce waste incineration to the same extent as the agreed reductions in landfill; and if he will make a statement. [38326]
§ Angela EagleNo, I will not. The European Commission is responsible for proposing European legislation; and while Member States can encourage it to bring forward particular measures, we have no intention of doing so for a measure along the lines suggested by the hon. Member. A significant increase in capacity for incineration with energy recovery is likely to be necessary both to move towards a more sustainable waste management system and to meet the requirements of the draft landfill directive. However, we have made it clear that incineration with energy recovery needs to be considered within a framework that favours waste minimisation and recycling.
The hon. Member may wish to be aware that the European Commission is currently working up a proposal for a new draft directive on emissions from waste incineration. It will replace the existing directives on incineration of municipal waste, with which full compliance has been achieved in England and Wales, and is likely to cover a broad range of other incineration plant. We support the need for strict emission standards for incinerations and welcome the consideration being given by the Commission to detailed issues.