Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2012-02-02-Speech-4-014-000"
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"en.20120202.5.4-014-000"2
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"Mr President, I would like to offer you my best wishes on your new position.
Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I am very happy that today, we are debating in plenary a resolution that stems from the many petitions that reach the European Parliament, and that refers specifically to the question of waste. These petitions demonstrate the concern of European citizens about the harm done to the environment, human health and the economy by waste management practices prevalent in various areas in Europe.
Even though I agree with the overall structure of the resolution, I am rather dissatisfied with how some of its passages address the issue of incinerators. At times, it seems that thanks to technology, any problem related to public health and the environment has been completely overcome. Until last year, right here, we were hearing the same words about nuclear power plants. Today, however, in this same Chamber, it is difficult to find anyone willing to defend the nuclear industry. Is it possible that politics is simply unable to take a long-term view? Do we really have to wait for more epidemiological studies confirming the increased cancer rates already found throughout populations living near incinerators?
This is not the NIMBY syndrome, but simply the citizens defending their right to health. There are alternatives that are virtuous and create employment. We must implement the spirit of the Waste Management Directive strictly, with a waste cycle based on the concepts of reduction, reuse and recycling. Landfill and incineration are residual, hierarchically inferior options, resorted to only after everything else possible has been done. If there was a political will to that effect, incinerators would be a nice memory.
I think that Parliament should take a more advanced stance and better protect its citizens in this area. I hope that the European Commission will propose stricter criteria and procedures for building incinerators and opening landfill sites, and encourage serious ‘zero waste’ policies in all Member States."@en1
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