Brussels, 30/05/2013 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 30 May, the European Commission announced that Greece will be referred to the Court of Justice of the EU for continuing to breach EU law on waste management, as it continues to illegally operate the Kiato landfill in the Peloponnese region. The landfill is operated without a valid permit in breach of Directive 1999/31/EC concerning the dumping of waste, representing a serious threat to human health and the environment.
Despite being called to order on several occasions (letter of formal notice, reasoned opinion), the Greek authorities have still not put the matter right. Hence the European Commission's decision to go one step further in the infringement procedure initiated against that member state in order to prompt it to take the required measures for cleaning up the landfill or closing it down as soon as possible.
Various on-site inspections have shown that the Kiato landfill is lacking in space and that it continues to operate without a valid permit. Although the Greek authorities recognise the problem and are seeking to remedy it, the measures necessary for cleaning up the landfill have still not been taken.
Directive 1999/31/EC aims, on one hand, to prevent and reduce, as far as possible, the negative effects on the environment from the landfill of waste throughout the whole life-cycle of the landfill, and, on the other, to protect human health and the environment from adverse effects caused by the collection, transport, storage, treatment and disposal of waste. To achieve this, it makes the disposal of waste subject to strict technical requirements. (AN/transl.jl)