Question écrite de
M. Dario TAMBURRANO
-
Commission européenne
Subject: Plans to build a waste incineration plant with a capacity of 600 000 tonnes/year in Santa Palomba (9th administrative subdivision of Rome Capital)
In Italy, the process to authorise the construction of a large-scale incinerator in Santa Palomba (9th administrative subdivision of Rome Capital), with a capacity of 600 000 tonnes of municipal waste per year, will soon be launched.
Article 17 of Regulation (EU) 2020/8521 clearly lists the incineration of waste (with the exception of non-recyclable hazardous waste) as an economic activity that causes ‘significant harm to the EU’s environmental objectives’. According to the regulation, the ‘significant environmental damage’ concerns the circular economy. Recital (27)2 of the regulation states: ‘The environmental objective of the transition to a circular economy should be interpreted in accordance with relevant Union law on circular economy [and] waste’.
Despite the fact that the current EU legislation, from which it can be interpreted that incineration is considered harmful, does allow for incineration in some cases, on the basis of Regulation 2020/852 it would appear that the construction of any more large-scale incineration plants would undermine the current objectives of the transition to a circular economy.
In view of the above:
1. Would the construction of a new large-scale municipal waste incineration plant cause significant damage to the EU’s environmental objectives?
2. In that case, what will the Commission do to prevent this new large-scale incineration plant from being built?
3. Will it propose further regulatory restrictions at EU level to completely remove incineration from the waste hierarchy, and if so, when?
Supporter3
Submitted: 30.7.2024
1 Regulation (EU) 2020/852, Article 17(d)(ii), https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-
content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32020R0852#d1e2555-13-1.
2 Regulation (EU) 2020/852, recital 27, https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-
content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32020R0852#d1e40-13-1.
3 This question is supported by a Member other than the authors: Giuseppe Antoci (The Left)
Answer given by Executive Vice-President Šefčovič on behalf of the European Commission (14 October 2024)
1. EU law requires Member States to ensure proper waste management, including to prepare for reuse or recycle at least 65% (1) and not landfill more than 10% (2) of their municipal waste by 2035. Incineration with energy recovery can provide appropriate treatment of non-recyclable residual waste (3) by extracting energy and valuable materials, diverting it from landfilling or illegal dumping, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions and other pollution. To align waste infrastructure with the recycling targets, overcapacity in residual waste treatment should be avoided. No information indicates that this incinerator would contribute to incineration overcapacity or cause significant damage to the EU’s environmental objectives.
2. Decisions on the type and location of waste treatment plants are in the competence of the Member States and are part of their waste management plans to implement EU waste legislation, ensuring a high level of environmental protection and the application of the principles of the waste hierarchy, proximity, self-sufficiency and polluter-pays. Without prejudice to the Commission’s role as guardian of the Treaties, Member States are primarily responsible to ensure compliance with EU law, including as regards assessing possible environmental impacts of projects and verifying individual cases of potential breaches of the rules.
3. The waste hierarchy lays down a priority order favoring waste prevention and preparing for re-use, followed by recycling, and only then recovery, including energy recovery, while the least preferred option is disposal, such as incineration without energy recovery and landfilling of waste (4). The Commission considers that the place of energy recovery in the waste hierarchy is still valid.
1 ∙ ⸱ Directive 2008/98/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 November 2008 on waste and repealing certain Directives, OJ L 312, 22.11.2008,
p. 3-30, as amended by Directive (EU) 2018/851 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May, OJ L 150, 14.6.2018, p. 109-140. 2 ∙ ⸱ Council Directive 1999/31/EC of 26 April 1999 on the landfill of waste, OJ L 182, 16.7.1999, p. 1-19, amended by Directive (EU) 2018/850 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2018, OJ L 150, 14.6.2018, p. 100-108. 3 ∙ ⸱ Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions ‘The role of waste-to-energy in the circular economy’, COM(2017) 34 final. 4 ∙ ⸱ Article 4 of Directive 2008/98/EC.