Landfill Directive

The Landfill Directive, more formally Council Directive 1999/31/EC of 26 April 1999 is a European Union directive that regulates waste management of landfills in the European Union. It was implemented by its Member States by 16 July 2001. The Directive's overall aim is 'to prevent or reduce as far as possible negative effects on the environment, in particular the pollution of surface water, groundwater, soil and air, and on the global environment, including the greenhouse effect, as well as any resulting risk to human health, from the landfilling of waste, during the whole life-cycle of the landfill'. This legislation also has important implications for waste handling and waste disposal. The Directive is applicable to all waste disposal sites and divides them into three classes: Waste disposal into landfills is restricted by banning certain waste types, which may pose a risk. The following wastes may not be disposed of in a landfill and must either be recovered, recycled or disposed of in other ways. To avoid further risks, allowed wastes are subject to a standard waste acceptance procedure, which dictates the following terms: The acceptance criteria and the acceptance process are further specified in the Council Decision 2003/33/EC. Member States must report to the European Commission every three years on the implementation of the Directive. According to the Directive, the amount of biodegradable municipal waste must be reduced to 50% in 2009 and to 35% in 2016 (compared to 1995 levels). In 2009, 10 years after the enactment of the Landfill Directive, the European Environment Agency published a report, which closely analysed the progress on implementing the Directive in the Member States. Its close analysis focuses on five countries and one sub-national region: Estonia, Finland, the Flemish Region of Belgium, (Germany), Hungary and Italy.According to this report, significant progress has been made, which is subject to two core factors: Setting medium- and long-term targets for reducing landfilling has enabled Member States to define waste strategies and monitor their progress continuously. Furthermore, the Directive allowed flexibility, whereby Member States had room to try out different policies and adjustment approaches.