Brussels, 18/05/2010 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission wants full use to be made of the potential offered by the management of bio-degradable waste as a source of renewable energy and recycled materials, by making the best possible use being made of existing Community legislation and giving member states the freedom to choose the options best suited to their own particular situations.
The communication on the next steps in bio-waste management in the EU, which was adopted by the College of Commissioners on Tuesday 18 May, provides a detailed analysis of the options available and sets out the measures deemed priority to derive the full environmental and economic benefits of managing this waste, whether from gardens or parks, or food waste from homes, restaurants, canteens or other catering sources, or from agri-food factories.
The challenge is great, with between 118 and 138 million tonnes of bio-waste produced every year in the EU (including 88 million tonnes of municipal waste). This volume of bio-waste is forecast to increase by 10% by 2020.
“This will not only help in the fight against climate change: producing good quality compost and biogas will contribute to healthy soil and slow biodiversity loss,” said Environment Commissioner Janez Potoènik in a press release.
The Commission's Green Paper of December 2008 launched a debate on the advantages and disadvantages of the methods currently used to manage bio-degradable waste and on the appropriateness of legislation (see EUROPE 9796).
In its communication, the Commission gives its decision and deepens the issue, by recommending the application of existing legislation while continuing to respect subsidiarity. With its analysis not revealing any policy gaps at EU level that could prevent member states from taking appropriate action, the Commission believes that the existing legislation provides an excellent basis for advanced bio-waste management. For this, the available tools need to be used to their full potential and rigorously enforced where necessary in all member states.
Among the priority measures put forward by the Commission are the prevention of bio-waste (to counter the threat posed to the climate by methane production by this kind of waste), biological treatment with the production of compost and bio-gas, rigorous enforcement of the targets on diverting bio-waste away from land-fill sites, proper application of the waste hierarchy and other provisions of the Waste Framework Directive to introduce separate collection systems.
To encourage bio-waste management, the Commission favours support initiatives at EU level, such as developing standards for compost, which are felt to be crucial to accelerate progress and ensure a level playing field across the EU. (A.N./transl.rt)