The new Council Directive 2010/998/EC is a part of the EU's climate change measures, and is designed to help festivals cut down on the amount of rubbish.
In the UK a new regulatory body will be formed via government legislation to oversee the directive, and it's believed they'll allow implementation in a variety of ways such as using waste management facilities and a Landfill Allowance Trading Scheme.
Forcing festivals to better consider the environment as a part of their festival plans, the directive will lessen the amount of aural pollution that can be created by the less imaginatively programmed stages that can be found at festivals around the country each summer.
Informally known as the EU Indie Landfill Directive, it aims to reduce the pollution potential from guitar based 'walls of sound' that can impact on the enjoyment of music, polluting airwaves, clogging magazine covers with straightened hair, and also skin tight jeans.
The directive sets demanding targets to reduce the amount of audible municipal indie landfilled waste. The legislation will include:-
- It is illegal for an indie band to cite Peter Doherty as a major influence, minor influence or use The Libertines based content in more than 6% of any song. This is an opportunity for bands to get better at improving and sorting their musical influences, rather than only ever recycling.
- In England and Wales the density of indie landfill has reached levels which are well above European standards, so it is suggested European summer dance anthems, German rock, and Spanish novelty acts are promoted in order to prevent further measures such as the restriction of distortion pedals being implemented at a later date.