Question écrite de
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Commission européenne
Subject: Sustainable recycling in the EU
Under new rules this year, EU Member States will have to recycle at least 70 % of packaging by 2030. Notwithstanding such targets, EU rules also facilitate mechanisms to boost the scope and effectiveness of recycling. At any rate, Member States should ensure that materials are collected separately, so as to prevent contamination, increase quality and reduce losses throughout the whole recycling process.
Without undermining the principles of the single market, how is the Commission, in conjunction with the Member States, planning to ensure sustainability in recycling and encourage people to waste less?
Answer given by Mr Vella on behalf of the European Commission
(6 March 2019)
The amended Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive (1) provides for measures to prevent packaging waste and improve recycling, inter alia through higher recycling targets; they have been an effective means to spur recycling efforts.
The Commission assists Member States through compliance promotion activities, including the recent Early Warning Reports (2). The 2018 report on the implementation of the waste directives gives account of implementation challenges for several waste streams, including packaging, and suggests areas for improvement (3). Further reports will specifically consider the packaging waste targets, at the latest three years ahead of the deadlines for meeting those.
Extended producer responsibility schemes whereby producers contribute financially and organisationally to waste management can also enhance recycling. All but one Member State already set up such schemes for packaging. They will have to be made compliant with new minimum requirements as set out in Article 8a of Directive 2008/98/EC (4), as amended by Directive (EU) 2018/851 (5). Inter alia, in the case of collective fulfilment of extended producer responsibility obligations, the financial contributions will have to be modulated, where possible, according to the end-of-life performance of packaging, such as recyclability, to incentivise better design. The Commission will develop related guidance for end 2019.
Lastly, the Commission started reviewing the essential requirements for packaging, i.a. to improve high quality recycling.
⋅1∙ Directive 94/62/EC, OJ L 365 31.12.1994, p. 10, as amended by Directive (EU) 2018/852, OJ L 150 14.6.2018 p. 41.
⋅2∙ http://ec.europa.eu/environment/waste/framework/early_warning.htm
⋅3∙ http://ec.europa.eu/environment/waste/pdf/waste_legislation_implementation_report.pdf
⋅4∙ OJ L 312, 22.11.2008, p. 3‐30.
⋅5∙ OJ L 150, 14.6.2018, p. 109-140.