As regards this recommendation from the rapporteur of the Committee on the Environment, Mr Virgin, it need only be said that, last year and in January this year, the rapporteur made thorough, strenuous and commendable efforts to bring the Commission into line with the European Parliament on the issue of the supervision and control of shipments of hazardous waste within, into and out of the territory of the Member States. Unfortunately - as it appears from the Council's common position - there was no success in persuading the Council of Ministers of the need for consistent application of the principles of proximity and prevention in this context. According to the former, waste should be processed as near as possible to the place where it is created. As things stand at present, Parliament hardly has any alternative but to follow the recommendation of the rapporteur, in other words to reintroduce the amendments which it adopted earlier in the year at its first reading of this proposal to amend Regulation (EEC) No 259/93.
Regarding the recommendation from the Committee on the Environment's rapporteur, Mr. Virgin, it is important to note that he made significant and commendable efforts last year and in January of this year to align the Commission with the European Parliament on the supervision and control of hazardous waste shipments within, into, and out of Member States. However, as reflected in the Council's common position, these efforts did not succeed in convincing the Council of Ministers of the necessity to consistently apply the principles of proximity and prevention. The principle of proximity states that waste should be processed as close as possible to its place of origin. Given the current situation, Parliament has little choice but to support the rapporteur's recommendation, which involves reintroducing the amendments it previously adopted during the first reading of the proposal to amend Regulation (EEC) No 259/93.
Regarding the recommendation from the rapporteur of the Committee on the Environment, Mr. Virgin, it is noteworthy that he made significant efforts last year and in January to align the Commission with the European Parliament on the supervision and control of hazardous waste shipments within, into, and out of Member States' territories. However, the Council's common position indicates that he was unsuccessful in convincing the Council of Ministers of the importance of applying the principles of proximity and prevention in this area. The principle of proximity states that waste should be processed as close as possible to its source. Given the current circumstances, the Parliament has little choice but to support the rapporteur's recommendation and reinstate the amendments adopted earlier this year during the first reading of the proposal to amend Regulation (EEC) No 259/93.
As for the recommendation of the Committee on the Environment rapporteur, Mr Virgin, it is important to note that he worked hard last year and in January to bring the Commission into line with the European Parliament on the monitoring and control of hazardous waste shipments within, into and out of the territory of Member States. But the Council's common position suggests that he failed to persuade the Council of Ministers that the principles of proximity and prevention should be applied here. The proximity principle is that waste should be treated as close to the source as possible. In the circumstances, the Parliament has no alternative but to endorse the rapporteur's proposal and to restore the amendments adopted earlier this year in the first reading of the proposal to amend Regulation (EEC) No 259/93.
As for the recommendation of the rapporteur of the Committee on the Environment, Mr. Virgin, it is important to note that he has worked hard last year and in January to bring the Commission into line with the European Parliament on the supervision and control of the transport of hazardous waste in, into and out of Member States' territories. But the Council's common position shows that he failed to persuade the Council of Ministers of the need to apply the principles of proximity and prevention in this field. The proximity principle says that waste should be treated as close to its source as possible. In light of the present situation, the Parliament is left with no option but to back the rapporteur's suggestion and reintroduce the amendments adopted in the first reading of the proposal to amend Regulation (EEC) No 259/93 this year.