The European Union called Thursday for cash-strapped Greece to be fined nearly 15 million euros ($19 million) for failing to dispose of hazardous waste properly.

The European Commission, the EU's executive, recommended that Athens be fined by the European Court of Justice for not complying with a 2009 ruling.

It said Greece lacked a management plan to dispose of material like medical waste and cancer-causing chemicals that linger in the environment.

"We're asking the court to impose fines of just under 15 million (euros) as a lump sum," environment spokesman Joe Hennon told a press briefing.

Greece should also be fined another 73,000 euros per day until it meets its obligations, he added.

The EU estimates around 320,000 tonnes of hazardous waste are currently stored in temporary facilities in Greece.

"Greece needs to create adequate facilities to deal with hazardous waste, and it also needs to tackle the issue of the waste that has accumulated," Hennon said.

Athens has also failed to propose a credible calendar to meet EU standards, the Commission said.

Greece has imposed years of deep spending cuts in return for EU-IMF bailouts sparked by the country's inability to repay huge slices of debt.