Press Release: Environment: Commission starts legal action against seven Member States over Landfill Directive

The European Commission has decided to start legal action against seven Member States for inadequately transposing the EU's legislation on the landfill of waste into their national law. The Commission is sending first warning letters to Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Portugal. Compliance with the Landfill Directive is a serious problem throughout the EU. The Commission therefore launched a screening exercise to compare Member States’ national legislation with the Directive to detect where the shortcomings are. The aim is to ensure that landfills operate in full accordance with the Directive i.e. in ways which do not harm human health or the environment.