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Diverting waste from landfill - Effectiveness of waste-management policies in the European Union

Issued in 1999, the Landfill Directive marked a decisive shift from landfill towards the EU's new waste hierarchy, which prioritises waste prevention, followed by re-use, recycling and recovery, and seeks to avoid landfilling wherever feasible. The Landfill Directive set targets for progressively reducing the amount of biodegradable municipal waste landfilled in the period to 2016. A decade on from the Landfill Directive's enactment seems a fitting time to review progress and extract key lessons for policy-makers in Europe and elsewhere. Through individual and comparative analyses of waste management in five countries and one sub-national region (Estonia, Finland, the Flemish Region of Belgium, Germany, Hungary and Italy), as well as an econometric analysis of the EU–25 Member States, this report seeks to answer a number of important questions, including: To what extent was waste management practice changed in the last decade? How much of the change was due to the Landfill Directive (and other EU instruments)? What measures and institutional arrangements did countries introduce? Which measures and arrangements proved most effective in different national and regional contexts?
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Percentage of biodegradable municipal waste landfilled in 2006, 2009 and 2010 compared with the amount generated in 1995 — countries with derogation periods

Percentage of biodegradable municipal waste landfilled in each European country with derogation periods for fulfilling the BMW diversion targets of the EU Landfill Directive, compared with the amount generated in 1995. The general derogation is a four year period implying that the countries have to fulfill the targets by 2010, 2013 and 2020 in stead of by 2006, 2009 and 2016. Some countries have diverting derogations periods: Ireland: derogation only for the 2006 and 2009 targets, to be met 2010 and 2013. Portugal: derogation only for the 2009 and 2016 targets, to be met in 2013 and 2020. Slovenia: derogation only for the 2016 target, to be met by 2020. Croatia must meet the targets by 2013, 2016 and 2020.
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Hazardous substances in Europe's fresh and marine waters — An overview

Chemicals are an essential part of our daily lives and are used to produce consumer goods, to protect or restore our health and to boost food production, to name but a few examples. Some chemicals, however, are hazardous, raising concerns for the environment and human health. Hazardous substances are emitted to fresh and marine waters via a number of pathways and can have detrimental effects on aquatic biota. Humans can be exposed to hazardous substances in water through the ingestion of contaminated drinking water and the consumption of contaminated freshwater fish and seafood. A wide range of legislation now exists in Europe to address the release of hazardous substances to the environment, including water. New challenges exist, however, including the issues of chemical mixtures and emerging pollutants.
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