EU Trash: Why do Scandinavians generate more waste than other Europeans? - by Marta Rodriguez Martinez

While Denmark is known as a European leader in green energy — almost 15% of its total electricity comes from biodegradable waste — the Scandinavian country has slipped under the radar as also being Europe’s biggest producer of municipal waste per person.

According to data published by Eurostat, Danes produced the most kilos of waste per capita in 2016, with 777 kilos per person, while Romanians produced the least amount of municipal waste with 261 kilos per person.

After Denmark, Norway is the second country that produces the most municipal waste with 754 kilos per person, then Switzerland (720 kilos per person), followed by Iceland (656 kilos per person).

The European average generates 480 kilos of waste, an amount best met by Greece (497 kilos per person), Italy (495 kilos per person), and the United Kingdom (495 kilos per person). The Spanish are slightly below the average with 443 kilos per capita.

Read more: EU TRash: Why do Scandinavians generate more waste than other Europeans? | Euronews

Spain: Catalonia prepares for rule by Skype- by Andrew Rettman

The two biggest parties in Catalonia have vowed to put Carles Puigdemont back in office despite Madrid's threat to maintain direct rule if they go ahead.

The Junts per Catalunya (JxCat) and ERC parties told El Nacional, a Spanish newspaper, on Tuesday (16 January), that Puigdemont was preparing to be invested as president of the region on 31 January and to carry out his future duties via videolink on online platforms such as Skype from his self-imposed exile in Brussels.

They said he would do it "due to legal imperative".

"I promise to act with complete fidelity to the will of the people of Catalonia," Puigdemont, whose JxCat party came second in regional elections in December, added.

The statement of intent came after the Catalan parliament's own lawyers said on Tuesday that a videolink investiture would have no legal basis.

Note EU-Digest: When is Mr. Piedemont going to "grow-up" and return to Spain to face the Judge in Madrid? It is also high time Belgium stops sitting on their hands and extradites Mr. Piedemont back to Spain. The Catalan voters should also start questioning the Catalan local government at which point they are ending this charade and stop financing Mr. Piedemont's non-productive activities in Belgium with tax payers money.  

Read more: Catalonia prepares for rule by Skype