European Parliament votes 65% of waste must be recycled

The European Parliament approved by an overwhelming majority a motion to raise to 65% from the 55% proposed by the European Commission the proportion of packaging waste that should be recycled.

It also voted to bring forward the target date for making member states apply the rule to end-2006 from 2008, UK Labour spokesman on the environment Don Bowe told AFX News by telephone from the parliament session in Strasbourg.

Bowe said a motion to force 75% of waste to be recycled was rejected.

"Nevertheless it is a tough outcome," he said.

Ireland, Greece and Portugal have been given until June 30 2009 to meet the targets.

Several EU countries, including the UK, and those countries intending to join the EU from 2004 will find it hard to meet the requirements, he said.

Bowe said it is now up to EU governments to ponder its reaction to today's parliament vote which was after its first of two readings of the proposed directive.

The whole process is controversial and could take a long time, perhaps making it hard to meet a 2006 deadline, he said.

The parliament also voted for individual recycling targets - 20% for plastic packaging, 50% for metals, 55% for paper and carton and 60% for glass.

It also said that 60% of waste by weight should be able to be converted into energy.