The law on waste and contaminated soils enters into debate in the plenary session of Congress

The text has been approved by the Ecological Transition Commission.

The Plenary of the Congress debates this week the draft law on waste and contaminated soils that creates a tax on disposable plastics and waste disposal, in addition to introducing the State Inventory of Voluntary Decontaminations of Contaminated Soils.

The legal text, which was approved by the Council of Ministers in May, was recently approved by the Commission for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge with 20 votes in favor, 6 against and 11 abstentions.

One of the most important measures regarding waste included in the regulation is the imposition of a tax on incineration, co-incineration and landfilling of waste, with the aim of making waste disposal the last option for its management and to promote the reduction of waste generation, reuse and recycling. In addition, waste deposited in landfills will also be required to undergo prior treatment.

As far as contaminated soils are concerned, the draft law maintains the classification of potentially polluting activities, the declaration of contaminated soil and its inventory and the responsibilities for remediation. The great novelty is the creation of the National Inventory of Voluntary Decontaminations, which will be fed by the autonomous communities and which will include those sites that were not registered until now in the inventory of contaminated soils and which will be fed by the registers of the autonomous communities on recoveries and voluntary decontaminations.

After debate and approval in the Plenary of Congress, the bill will be sent to the Senate for ratification and will return to Congress for final approval.