France – waste incineration may lead to waste prevention

Supervision may lead to waste reduction. International Wastenews, Waste Centre Denmark no. 1, 2005 reports that waste incineration may lead to waste prevention in France In very clear terms, French scientists have asked the French Government to launch waste prevention initiatives. The background for the clear statement is that the former French Minister for Ecology and Sustainable Development, Ms Roselyne Bachelot in October 2003 asked the Ministry‘‘s “Committee on Prevention and Pre-caution” (CPP) to evaluate a study that directly connected in-creased occurrences of cancer with dioxin emissions from waste incineration in the city of Besançon. CPP did not find sufficient evidence of either accepting or rejecting this coupling. On the other hand, the committee found that the French Government is doing far too little to reduce the increasing waste arisings. And this despite the fact that the Government in February last year published a plan of action for waste prevention.



The plan was much criticized for being unambitious and for having ignored completely the recommendations put forward in previous studies regarding national regulation and implementation of economic instruments in the field. The plan continues to be based on voluntary agreements . The committee indicates that it recommends more stringent regulation of waste incineration, but that the regulation must be seen in a wider perspective. Thus, CPP states in its recommendations that the trend towards growing waste arisings calls for interventions that are “urgent and absolutely essential”. Furthermore, the Government is criticized for its sluggish attitude and action in the waste area. Latest news: As a follow up on the above, the present French Minister for Ecology and Sustainable Development, Mr Serge Lepeltier promised in late February 2005 that he would establish a national environmental tax commission before the end of the year. And on 1 March 2005, for the first time, an environmental charter was incorporated in the French constitution. The environmental charter has special focus on the principle of prevention and the polluter-pays principle