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Albanian civil society resumes protest against waste import

Xinhua, November 24, 2016 Adjust font size:

Hundreds of representatives of civil society, alliance against waste import and citizens of Albania resumed Thursday the protest against the government initiative to allow integrated waste import here, local media reported.

The protesters started their action in front of the Albanian parliament on Wednesday midnight. On Thursday they asked the members of parliament not to pass the law on integrated waste import.

Protesters and environment experts spent their night outside parliaments premises while they warned of an escalation of situation if the parliament did not reject the law.

On the other hand, Albanian parliament's press office said that the draft law on integrated waste import was not included in Thursday's agenda although Nov. 24 was set as the final deadline for the review of the decree.

After the announcement, the Union of the Chambers of Commerce in Albania expressed dissatisfaction, saying that any unnecessary delay in adopting and implementing the law was detrimental to the businesses engaged in waste recycling industry.

The vice chairman of this union Arben Shkodra told local media here that the implementation of the law would also serve a cleaner Albania.

He also called on politics to end the debates and approve the law, otherwise, he said that Union of Chambers of Commerce and the recycling businesses will launch national protests.

Albanian President Bujar Nishani refused to sign a law on integrated waste management in mid-October, sending it back to the parliament.

Albanian president's press office said the law was against the country's constitution and international agreements.

Although the Albanian government previously defended the law, saying that only solid non-hazardous waste will be imported to Albania for recycling, Albanian president justified his decision, saying that the new law on waste management violated Article 59 of the constitution of Albania, as well as the EU waste framework directive. Endit