TW
0

Palma.—The European MP for the United Left (Esquerra Unida) Willy Meyer, has put three questions regarding the legality of Palma's new scheme to import and treat waste from the mainland and eventually elsewhere in Europe, including the United Kingdom, to the European Commission.

The United Left, along with all the other opposition parties, local and international environmental groups, are deeply opposed to the initiative which has already begun.

Local green body GOB held a human chain protest on Saturday and over 2'500 people braved the rain to form a three kilometre long demonstration along Palma's sea front as public condemnation of the scheme, which many claim poses and threat to public health and the environment, grows.

According to the United Left, the Council of Majorca, with the support of the Balearic government, is infringing the 2008 European Union Waste Directive which clearly states that a greater effort should be made to put the emphasis on recycling as opposed to incineration.

At the moment, Majorca incinerates about 80 percent of its waste and recycles only 20 percent, as far as the European Union is concerned, those figures should have been nearly reversed by now.

But, with Majorca boasting the largest incinerator in southern Europe, the authorities have seen a way of making money by treating the rest of Europe's waste.

However, not everyone is happy with Majorca becoming “Europe's dunghill.” What is more the United Left maintain that the expansion of incinerator to include a second furnace back in 2006 was also illegal.
Meyer wants to know if, as far as the European Commission is concerned, that Son Reus meets all the necessary criteria and, if not, that the Commission takes action to put a stop to the “massive importation” and treatment of waste in Majorca.

He also wants to know if the Commission is planning on introducing new criteria to prevent the future construction of incinerators of a similar size to that of Son Reus.