EC waste law - A complete mess?

Abstract

The translation of waste policy into workable law has proved immensely challenging, especially in the context of European Community legislation. As waste law becomes more complex there is, however, a greater need to stand back a little to consider the fundamentals involved in regulating waste, and the reasons for treating waste differently from chemicals and other substances which may be equally hazardous. EC legislation has developed considerably since the 1989 Waste Strategy, but robust definitions of waste still remain elusive, despite extensive litigation. It is a sophisticated and infuriatingly complex system which can sometimes lead to absurd results. Nevertheless, it has raised standards in many countries, but its growing ambitions and complexities will pose greater challenges in the next decade.