NGOs protest waste import plans

TIRANA, Nov. 22 – A group of non-governmental organizations has held a protest in front of the government’s main offices in Tirana against a recent decision to allow the importing of waste materials from other countries.
The NGOs said they had done the same protest six years ago with the then-leftist government fearing the waste could turn the country into a waste dump.
Despite the call from the NGOs, a lower turnout than expected was noticed at the protest, a few hundred people.
Environmentalists say the list of allowable waste approved by the government raises fears that it will be used to sneak in unwanted materials.
The government decision issued a list with zero customs tariff for several products including urban waste, sewage sludge and clinical waste.
The Ministry of Economy said that these changes should be included in the context of Albania’s obligations as a member of the World Trade Organization.