Circular economy and recycling targets for municipal waste

Subject: Circular economy and recycling targets for municipal waste

According to the latest version of the Waste Framework Directive (2008/98/EC), Member States were required to take measures to achieve the objective of recycling 50 % of their household waste by 2020. Waste prevention under the Circular Economy Action Plan, both in product policy and waste policy, and the European Parliament’s demands for waste reduction, overall and in specific waste streams and product groups, have to be based on statistics on progress made so far. In order to achieve the goal of a full circular economy by 2050, it is essential that reliable statistics are available and compliance is enforced. According to Eurostat figures from 2018, around half of the Member States would not have achieved the 50 % recycling target.

1. Can the Commission confirm which Member States did not achieve the 50 % recycling target for municipal waste as required by Article 11(2)(a) of the Waste Framework Directive, and does it believe that the existing statistics on waste are reliable?

2. What measures has the Commission taken or does it envisage taking to ensure that Member States are compliant and to support Member States to this end, with particular regard to support for investment?

3. What is the Commission’s assessment of burning waste for energy in this regard?

Answer given by Mr Sinkevičius on behalf of the European Commission (17 July 2021)

Article 11(2)(a) of the Waste Framework Directive (1) requires Member States to ensure that, by 2020, the preparing for re-use and the recycling of waste from households, shall be increased to 50% by weight (2). In line with Article 37, the data to verify compliance with this target will be submitted by Member States to the Commission within 18 months of the end of the reporting year for which the data are collected. As such, it is not yet clear which Member States have attained the target.

The Commission applies several approaches to help Member States improve implementation of EU waste acquis, in particular, by providing technical assistance, guidance and financial support through EU funds and direct support to project s (3). A key instrument, now enshrined in EU waste law, is Early Warning Reports, which assess the Member State progress towards reaching EU waste management targets and address recommendations for those at risk accompanied by guidance on best practices. The most recent report was adopted in 2018 (4) and the next report in view of the 2025 recycling targets will be adopted in 2022.

The Commission’s view regarding energy recovery are reflected in the communication on ‘The role of waste-to-energy in the circular economy’ (5).

⋅1∙ Directive (EU) 2018/851 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2018 amending Directive 2008/98/EC on waste, OJ L 150, 14.6.2018, p. 109‐


⋅2∙ Article 11(3) defines that a Member State may postpone the deadlines for attaining the targets referred to in points (c), (d) and (e) of paragraph 2 by up to five years.

⋅3∙ Such as Next Generation EU, the Cohesion Policy funds (European Regional Development Fund and Cohesion Fund), the EU programme for the environment and

climate action, Horizon Europe.

⋅4∙ https://ec.europa.eu/environment/topics/waste-and-recycling/implementation-waste-framework-directive_en

⋅5∙ https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/en/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52017DC0034