Protect our resources with a sustainable economy

Subject: Protect our resources with a sustainable economy

Sustainable growth is economic progress that does not depend on resource consumption. Closing material loops unlocks new economic potential and protects our natural resources. Aside from conserving natural resources, it saves energy, cuts emissions, creates jobs, and safeguards the prosperity and competitiveness of the European economy. In an increasing number of sectors, raw material bottlenecks are impeding Europe’s economic development.

1. What is the Commission doing to incentivise the generation of less waste, development of low- waste products and improvements to processes for reusing recycled materials?

2. What steps is it taking to promote the use of recycling-derived products in the EU?

3. How does it plan to harness recycling processes to ensure raw material security?

Answer given by Mr Sinkevičius on behalf of the European Commission (21 September 2021)

The new Circular Economy Action Plan (1) sets out the Commission’s policy agenda to reduce resource consumption and waste, while increasing the circular use of materials.

Among its deliverables, the Sustainable Products Initiative will aim to improve product durability, reusability, upgradability and reparability, reduce carbon and environmental footprints, address the presence of hazardous chemicals in products and increase their recycled content.

Another work strand is the review of EU waste legislation that regulates specific products (2) aiming at preventing waste, increasing recycled content, promoting safer and cleaner waste streams, and ensuring high-quality recycling.

In addition, the Commission intends to propose waste reduction targets for specific streams as part of a broader set of measures on waste prevention in the context of a review of the Waste Framework Directiv e (3). Facilitating re-use and recycling of waste in the EU is at the core of the ongoing review of EU rules on waste shipments (4).

The Circular Economy Action Plan aims to promote a well-functioning EU market for secondary raw materials, inter alia, by introducing requirements for recycled content in products and assessing the scope to develop further EU-wide end-of-waste criteria for certain waste streams.

The importance of waste prevention and waste management in ensuring critical raw materials was also highlighted in the action plan on Critical Raw Materials (5).

⋅1∙ A new Circular Economy Action Plan For a cleaner and more competitive Europe, COM/2020/98 final.

⋅2∙ Such as Directive 2006/66/EC on batteries and accumulators and waste batteries (OJ L 266, 26.9.2006, p. 1‐14), Directive 2000/53/EC on end-of life vehicles

(OJ L 269, 21.10.2000, p. 34‐43), Directive 94/62/EC on packaging and packaging waste (OJ L 365, 31.12.1994) and Directive 2011/65/EU on the restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment (OJ L 174, 1.7.2011, p. 88‐110). ⋅3∙ 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. ⋅4∙ Regulation (EC) No 1013/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 June 2006 on shipments of waste, OJ L 190, 12.7.2006, p. 1. ⋅5∙ Critical Raw Materials Resilience: Charting a Path towards greater Security and Sustainability, COM/2020/474 final.