Welcoming the European Parliament's environment committee vote on plans to review EU rules on waste shipments, GUE/NGL MEP Sabine Wils said the proposed new rules would require countries to crack down on illegal shipments but that tougher monitoring and review instruments would be better at properly protecting people and the environment from hazardous substances.

“The key objective to tackle illegal waste shipments both in Europe and between the EU and third countries is shared by all the political groups. While we have made progress towards ensuring that member states make wide-ranging inspection strategies and that their findings are made public, the work must go on to close all loop holes. We therefore demanded that the inspection plans of the member states should be reviewed more often in order to ensure that they are sufficient and prevent the practice of 'port hopping' which means that waste shipments are carried out at the ports with the lowest inspection standards,” Wils said.

The report will be put to a vote during Parliament's April plenary session in Strasbourg.