After China closed the world’s biggest recycling market earlier this year, Europe has struggled to manage its plastic waste. Half of the plastic waste Europe previously shipped to China now goes to other parts of Asia; the remainder has been temporarily stored, awaiting new markets to emerge and accept the excess. The main alternatives are to either bury or burn it. Due to limited landfill space, the favored option is to burn waste to produce electricity and heat.

Austria has announced its intention to challenge a decision by the European Union to subsidize a nuclear power station in the United Kingdom. The appeal will be filed before April in the European Court of Justice, and it is likely other countries will join Austria in challenging the European Commission’s decision. Appellants will likely argue that the £17.6 ($26.43) billion subsidy is illegal state aid because the project does not meet the necessary criteria, including furthering the common interest of the EU as a whole.