The Agència de Residus de Catalunya (the new name for the Junta Residus following the publication of Law 15/2003 of 13th June), is an entity of public law regulated by article 1.b of legislative decree 2/2002 of 24th December, which approves the rewritten text of Law 4/1985 of 29th March concerning the statute of Catalan public companies.

The Agència de Residus de Catalunya is competent concerning waste generated in Catalonia and the waste managed in its territorial area, albeit industrial, municipal, health care, or agricultural, with the exception of radioactive waste, waste from mining activities, waste from agricultural and stockbreeding operations that are not dangerous and are used only within the framework of the agricultural operation, declassified explosives, those managed as waste water and gas effluents.

In order to improve the quality of life for citizens in Catalonia and to protect the environment, the main objectives of the Agència de Residus de Catalunya are:

• to promote the minimisation of waste and their danger
• to nurture selective waste collection
• waste evaluation
• refuse disposal
• the recovery of spaces and soils deteriorated by the uncontrolled unloading of waste or by pollutants

Government organs
The governing organs of the Agència de Residus de Catalunya are the Board of Management, the president, a post that lies with the Minister of the Environment and Housing who hold the representation there for, and the manager running the operation.