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Reducing Landfill: A Landfill Allowance Scheme Consultation

ANNEX A: DIVISION OF THE TARGETS ACROSS THE UK

As outlined in the consultation paper, the targets for the reduction of BMW in the UK are:

• by 2010 to reduce the amount of BMW going to landfill to 75% of that produced in 1995;
• by 2013 to reduce the amount of BMW going to landfill to 50% of that produced in 1995;
• by 2020 to reduce the amount of BMW going to landfill to 35% of that produced in 1995.

The targets are based on the amount of BMW produced in 1995, which for the UK was 18.27 million tonnes. This amount has to be divided between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Section 1 of the WET Act provides for the Secretary of State to specify in regulations the maximum amount of BMW permitted to be sent to landfills in target years from the UK as a whole and from each country of the UK. The amounts specified must be consistent with the requirements of the Directive. The Act also provides for the Secretary of State to specify, by agreement with each country, the amount of BMW that may be sent to landfills from that country in a scheme year that is not a target year. Paragraph 3.7 outlines the Executive’s proposals for the total figures for Scotland in these years.

The distribution of allowances in EC target years is a reserved matter. Part 2 of the UK Government’s consultation paper on the landfill allowance trading scheme sought views on this: http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/landfill/consultation-doc.pdf

Following consultation with the Devolved Administrations the UK consultation proposed dividing the targets between the four countries of the UK based on 1995 waste arisings. This reflects the wording of Article 5(2) of the Directive and will ensure that each country makes a fair contribution towards the UK targets.

On this basis the amount of BMW that can be landfilled in each country of the UK in target years proposed by the UK Government is as follows:

If any of the four countries landfill more than the amount indicated above in target years and the UK as a whole exceeds its targets under Article 5, the UK will be liable to fines from the European Court of Justice.

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