COUNCIL RESOLUTION of 21 December 1988 concerning transfrontier movements of hazardous waste to third countries (89/C 9/01)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to Council Directive 84/631/EEC of 6 December 1984 on the supervision and control within the European Community of the transfrontier shipment of hazardous waste (1), as last amended by Directive 86/279/EEC (2), Having regard to the Communication from the Commission of 18 July 1988 on exports of dangerous waste, Whereas recent reports about the export of hazardous waste to third countries have given rise to great concern because of the lack of adequate arrangements to ensure the protection of the environment and human health;

Whereas serious environmental damage could result from this trade and therefore this problem must be tackled as a matter of urgency;

Whereas a Community system for control of transfrontier shipments of hazardous waste is operational;

Whereas each Member State must see to the disposal of all waste produced in its territory;

Whereas negotiations are underway within the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) on a draft Agreement on the control of transboundary movements of hazardous waste and within the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) on a draft Global Convention on the same subject,

1. STRESSES the urgency of reaching an agreement on a system at the widest possible international level to ensure effective control of transfrontier movements and disposal of hazardous waste;

2. WELCOMES the negotiations underway in the OECD and the UNEP to this end in which the Community and the Member States are playing an active role;

3. NOTES that the provisional results of these negotiations reflect on a wider scale the principles laid down in the Directives dealing with the same issue;

in particular the principles of reduction of waste to a minimum level, prior informed consent, safe disposal, and the responsibility of the producer for the proper management of his waste;

4. RECALLS that under Directive 84/631/EEC, any export of hazardous waste to third countries is subject to specific controls;

5. RECOGNIZES the ban on importation of hazardous waste imposed by a number of third countries;

6. REQUESTS Member States, in cooperation with the Commission, to encourage the development of the effective management of hazardous waste at source and of the technology for the processing of hazardous waste, the exchange of technical information and the development of trained manpower resources for the safe handling, processing and disposal of hazardous waste;

and to elaborate necessary standards and technical guidelines for waste disposal installations;

7. REQUESTS the Commission and the Member States to give due priority to the provision to developing countries, when they so request, of information on the risks pertaining to the incorrect disposal of hazardous waste and of technical and other assistance to enable them to deal with the problems posed by hazardous waste;

8. INVITES the Member States to further the development of an adequate and environmentally compatible infrastructure in the Member States for the disposal of all types of wastes.

(1) OJ No L 326, 13. 12. 1984, p. 31.

(2) OJ No L 181, 4. 7. 1986, p. 13.