To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions his Department had with the European Commission on proposals to establish an EU waste implementation agency. (319624)

The European Commission invited member states, industry stakeholders and non-governmental organisations to attend informal workshops on the possibility of establishing a waste implementation agency on 2 April and 14 September 2009.

DEFRA officials attended both workshops. The Commission, via consultants, also invited member states to respond to an informal questionnaire on the feasibility of establishing such an agency. The UK responded to that questionnaire in April 2009.