European seminar on the fight against international trafficking in toxic waste
- from: 07.10.2008
- to: 09.10.2008
- In: Paris
The French Presidency of the Council of the European Union is organising a seminar on "the fight against international trafficking in toxic waste" from 7 to 9 October 2008 in Paris. This will be an opportunity to bring together for discussions the delegations from the Member States, Switzerland, Norway and the international organisations concerned by this issue. The conference aims to heighten European awareness of this new threat, to improve the information essential for a better understanding of the phenomenon and to propose the adoption of more effective working tools.
Since the 1990s, the issue of waste management has played an increasing role in the development of societies which are facing unprecedented exponential growth in waste production. Consequently, efforts are being made to adopt and reinforce ever stricter regulations, which substantially increase the costs of treating waste and give rise to a new form of crime.
Although difficult to measure, this emerging threat, which has serious consequences for society, will continue to develop given that waste output increases every year and treatment costs are proportional to the dangerous nature of the products. Estimates put waste output at over 1.5 billion tonnes. 20% of this waste requires special treatment for recycling or elimination. These recycling procedures are particularly costly.
Some manufacturers, waste collectors or processors can be tempted to significantly boost their profits by moving waste out of the legal processing circuit. Examples of illegal actions include: unauthorised dumping of waste; exporting waste to Third World or emerging countries in exchange for hard currency; illegal recycling by mixing dangerous products with authorised materials. These operations provide rich earnings estimated at several billion euros worldwide. The situation is made worse because it is difficult to implement repressive measures and the criminal sanctions are weak compared to the profits made. For these reasons, this form of trafficking is particularly attractive to the "ecomafia". It can also attract the attention of established criminal organisations searching for new activities. These groups know how to take advantage of the opportunities offered by the opening up of European borders and by globalisation, hiding their activities behind complex financial schemes.
In addition to these environmental and health hazards, other consequences are financial, via the underground economy and money laundering, and social, with jobs put at risk in Europe (unfair competition) and also in the countries to which the illegal waste is shipped.
- Updated: 23.12.2008
