FERMANAGH South Tyrone Assembly Member Tom Elliott was among a delegation from the Southern Waste Management Partnership

(SWaMP2008) who attended a conference in Brussels to hear the latest update on important European Waste Management legislation which is due to come into effect in Northern Ireland.

Waste is currently a high profile issue across Europe as every member state considers how to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill and how to reduce the consumption of raw materials through increased recycling.

The European Waste Framework Directive heralds the start of a new era of waste management and focuses on major issues relating to limiting waste production, the prevention of waste by encouraging recycling, the recovery of reusable materials and the use of waste as a resource.

In Brussels, the delegation attended a reception at the Northern Ireland Executive Offices, at which they met with MEPs Jim Nicholson, Bairbre de Brun and Diane Dodds. The SWaMP2008 party also met with MLAs from the NI Assembly Committee for Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) including Committee Chairman, Ian Paisley Jnr, Tom Elliott, UUP MLA for Fermanagh and South Tyrone, George Savage, UUP MLA for Upper Bann and William Irwin, DUP MLA for Newry and Armagh.

The timing of the Brussels visit is important for SWaMP2008 as the Waste Management Partnership is now embarking on the process of securing a contractor to develop waste management infrastructure for the south west region.

SWaMP2008 is developing facilities to support the current recycling programmes of each of its eight member councils, by introducing technology which will mechanically sort and further recycle materials such as glass, paper, plastic and metal and then treat the residual waste to break it down to produce a compost material.

The output from the plant could also be used to generate electricity and support a district heating scheme.

Chair of SWaMP2008 Charles Rollston said, "It is exciting to be in Brussels just as we are making important decisions on the best possible waste management infrastructure for our region.

"This allows us to be up to speed with the latest developments and on target with our waste management solutions.

The way we think about waste and the way we use, re-use and recycle materials is on the verge of major change as a result of this new European Directive. It is important for us to know what will be required of us and that we will be able to meet the current and future needs of the whole region."

SWaMP2008 is in the process of short-listing bidders to construct the region's new waste infrastructure. The shortlisted companies will work with SWaMP2008 for the next twelve months to finalise their bids and one contractor will be appointed in December 2010, to complete construction in 2012.