Allister defends quarries against Brussels overload
06 September 2005
DUP MEP Jim Allister has spoken out in the European Parliament against proposals to impose further legislative restraints on all quarries. During the second reading debate on the Directive of the Management of Waste from Extractive Industries, the MEP labelled proposals to impose the same restraints on non-hazardous quarries, producing inert waste, as on Category A hazardous waste operations, as oppressive and destructive of competitiveness.
Mr Allister said, "One-size fits all" is one of the curses of EU legislation. If the Environment Committee gets its way here, again, we will have a classic illustration of it in action. Though not all extractive industries have the same environmental and safety impact, the Environment Committee would have this legislation make them all needlessly subject to the same restraint.
"Legislation to fit the need is one thing; legislation not tailored to need is invariably oppressive and destructive of competitiveness. And so it is here, with the rapporteur trying to require all sites, regardless of size, product and complexity, to comply with all Articles. There is no sound reason why the shallow sand quarry should be subjected to the same legislative demands as a large deep mine producing hazardous waste.
"The requirements for non-hazardous or inert waste should remain proportional and not, as proposed by the Environmental Committee, be largely subject to the same stringency as Category A hazardous waste sites.
"With the existing Framework Directive on Waste and the Landfill Directive making adequate provision for non-hazardous waste quarries, there is no convincing or compelling reason for these further burdens on this important sector of our economic production."
