The German waste management and recycling group Interseroh continues to benefit from rising raw materials prices. In the quarter ended 31 March 2008, Interseroh raised its sales by 20 per cent to EUR 527m, with EUR 405m originating from its ferrous and non-ferrous metals recycling activities. Raw materials trading contributed EUR 61m, while the group's services operations recorded sales of EUR 69m. The group's earnings before interest and tax (Ebit) increased by EUR 1.7m to reach EUR 19.5m. (08/05/08)

The waste management division of French group Veolia Environnement generated consolidated sales of EUR 2.415bn in the first quarter of 2008 according to preliminary figures released on Tuesday. This represents nearly 19 per cent growth year-on-year, which is largely due to the take-overs of German Sulo group and Italian TMT (now called VSA Tecnitalia) in the year 2007. Veolia reported that the organic growth rate reached more than 7 per cent, both within its home market of France and abroad. (07/05/08)

The European Commission has announced on Tuesday that it is taking Italy to the European Court of Justice (ECJ) over the waste crisis in Naples and the Campania region. The Brussels body stated that "while the immediate crisis has eased recently, the Commission takes the view that the measures being taken are inadequate to address Company's waste problems in the long term and prevent a repeat of the unacceptable events seen over the past year". In the Commission's view, the situation in Campania constitutes a breach of the EU Waste Framework Directive. (06/05/08)