§ Dr. KumarTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps are being taken to ensure that UK companies are informed of measures required to comply with the European Landfill Directive. [137541]
§ Mr. MorleySince the Landfill Directive was agreed by the Council of Ministers in April 1999, the Government have carried out four separate consultation exercises to ensure that all the issues were fully aired. Also, a number of stakeholders groups that include representatives of UK industry, such as the Hazardous Waste Forum and the Landfill Directive Implementation Group, have discussed different aspects of the Directive. For example, the Hazardous Waste Forum is developing an action plan that includes a commitment to a communication strategy to raise awareness of industry to forthcoming legislative changes on hazardous waste.
Currently, two further consultation exercises are being carried out; one dealing with the Directive targets to reduce the amount of biodegradable municipal waste going to landfill and the other covering the implementation of the waste acceptance criteria requirements that were added to the Directive by Council Decision 2003/33 of 13 December 2002.