20-year dumping battle draws to close

A 20-year-long battle between the government and the EU over the illegal land-fill sites and car dumps polluting the countryside, has finally been closed by the European Commission.

But it needed the European Court of Justice to make legal history to get the country that prides itself on its green image to start the massive clean-up.

The court was so appalled at the Government’s failure to address polluting in 2005, it never actually closed the case, telling the European Commission it could return at any time without going through the drawn-out process if the ruling was not complied with.