Finland issued waste management warning

The government in Finland has been threatened with financial penalties if it fails to introduce national laws aimed at regulating waste management.

According to the European Commission, the Scandinavian country has not adopted the EU Waste Framework Directive.

The original deadline for this was December 2010 and the Commission also stated that Finland is yet to add the Strategic Environment Assessment Directive to its national laws.

It has been given two months to rectify the situation or fines will be issued, environment commissioner Janez Potocnik confirmed.

The Waste Framework Directive was introduced to encourage countries to develop disposal policies that would be more beneficial to the environment, as the EU revealed that member states produce three billion tonnes of waste each year.

Poland has also been urged to implement environmental laws at national level, after the European Commission announced it has yet to embrace extractive mining waste regulations. The country was also warned about its packaging waste policies.

Posted by Lauren Steadman