The Commission's re-examined proposal incorporates a number of the amendments adopted by the European Parliament at its second reading. The amendments accepted by the Commission aim in particular to :
- draw attention to the waste hierarchy for the order of preference to be followed in the elimination of waste, the use of economic instruments in certain cases and the need to integrate the cost of the financial guarantee in the price to be charged for the landfilling of waste;
- clarify the definition of liquid waste;
- tighten the common position by reintroducing a reduction target for biodegradable waste of 25%;
- give only a 2 year derogation for those countries which today landfill more than 80%;
- change the time frame for existing landfills to comply with the Directive to 5 years;
- ensure that the cost of the financial guarantee is included in the price which is charged for the landfilling of waste;
- ensure that the Member States monitor the waste which is landfilled in those landfill sites which are exempted from the provisions of the Directive and to keep these data available to the public;
- introduce further specifications regarding the obligations on the operator during the aftercare period;
- re-introduce the rules already proposed with respect to the minimum distance of landfills from housing, recreation areas, reservoirs, waterways, as well as other agricultural or urban sites.�