THE EUROPEAN COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS

- is convinced that local and regional authorities have a key role to play in achieving the EU's common waste management objectives, particularly when it comes to the management of municipal waste, as they are the ones who will have to implement the decisions taken and the great diversity of situations precludes a one-size-fits-all solution;
- calls on the European Commission to ensure that the Member States involve local and regional authorities closely in drawing up the strategy, adopting the necessary technical and fiscal measures, developing the financial support mechanisms, and exchanging good practices;
considers it essential for financial support at all levels to be in line with the waste hierarchy and, as far as possible, to be redirected towards prevention, public information, high-quality separate waste collection schemes and the development of reuse and recycling infrastructure, as well as towards research and innovation in the field; waste and the income generated should ideally be used to develop local public services and reduce their cost.