International

SP-Euro-MP Liotard is calling for a European blacklist making known multinational corporations which are guilty of illegal dumping of waste.

The European Parliament will tomorrow carry by an overwhelming majority a resolution condemning in the strongest terms the deliberate dumping of dangerous waste in the Ivory Coast by the firm of Trafigura Beheer. In addition, the governments involved in the affair will be called upon to launch investigations, specifying those responsible and prosecuting the guilty.

At the suggestion of Euro-MP Kartika Liotard, spokeswoman on the affair for the SP and for the European Parliament United Left Group (GUE/NGL), the resolutuon also charges the European Commission with the task of conducting its own comprehensive enquiry into the illegal trade in and disposal of waste, and to publish an annual list of both member states and corporations guilty of involvement in such practices.

In addition. Ms Liotard is demanding that the Europese Commissie as well as the EU's member states immediately make public all agreements with developing countries in the field of waste processing.

“In order to combat illegal dumping of waste we need more than judicial methods; we must also work on the transparency of the problem. Through the establishment of a blacklist of dubious and downright criminal traders in waste, consumers will become more aware of illegal waste dumping while honest companies can more easily avoid these sorts of practices,” Liotard said.

Liotard has been trying for several weeks to gain access to the poison ship Probo Koala, but this has so far been refused on the grounds of various formalities.