SOUTH EAST SEMINAR IN BRUSSELS PLACES THE SPOTLIGHT ON THE REGION'S WASTE AND RENEWABLE ENERGY ISSUES

FUTURE PRIORITIES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF SUSTAINABLE WASTE MANAGEMENT AND RENEWABLE ENERGY STRATEGIES FOR THE SOUTH EAST were the focus of high-level discussions with European Commission officials in Brussels on 16 April 2002 at South East England House.

The Regional Assembly's Director of Planning and Transport, Mike Gwilliam, addressed a seminar that brought together partners from across the region and senior European Commission officials.

The seminar, which was hosted at South East England House in Brussels, was attended by 30 waste management specialists from the South East, and officials from the European Commission. The focus of the event was on exploring ways in which waste disposal practice in the South East can be changed so as to reduce reliance on landfill and meet the European Commission's tough new directives on waste.

Mike Gwilliam said: "The Regional Assembly is developing a regional framework to find alternative methods of waste management to replace landfill. Recent research by the Environment Agency has warned that the landfill space left for waste disposal in the South East could run out within seven years. Although this sounds alarming, we at the Assembly believe that it is also an opportunity. It will serve to focus everyone's minds quickly on bringing forward more waste management methods, such as recycling or composting, rather than relying so much on simply putting untreated waste in holes in the ground.

"On behalf of the Regional Assembly, as Regional Planning Body for the South East, a Regional Waste Statement is currently being prepared for publication in June. This will be followed by the publication of the Regional Waste Strategy for the South East later in 2002."

The seminar also heard from Mike Gwilliam about the Assembly's parallel work to develop a Renewable Energy Strategy for the South East, which is to be published in Autumn 2002.

South East England House was established last year by a partnership of local authorities, the South East England Regional Assembly and the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) to provide the region with permanent representation in Europe and to enable the South East to exert its influence with the EU institutions in Brussels.

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Notes to editors:

1. The Regional Assembly is the “voluntary regional chamber” for the South East. It was established in January 1999 to give a representative voice to the South East region which covers Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, East and West Sussex, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Oxfordshire, and Surrey.
2. The Assembly is made up of 111 members including elected councillors nominated by the region’s local authorities and 37 representatives from other sectors of the community (including business, trades unions, education, housing, health, sports, culture, tourism, faith groups, environmental, community and voluntary organisations).
3. The Assembly has three areas of core business:
1. It is the representative voice of the South East, engaging and representing its member organisations and, through them, the wider public.
2. The Assembly has a specific role under the Regional Development Agencies' Act 1998 to ensure the accountability of the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) to the region.
3. The Assembly has been the Regional Planning Body for the South East since April 2001. It has responsibility for proposing strategic planning and transport policies to Government.

Last updated: 21 August 2007