Brussels, 03/07/2014 (Agence Europe) - Good, but could do better. The environmental defenders, at the Parliament and within NGOs, welcomed the proposals put forward by the European Commission on Wednesday 2 July for the revision of the waste directives as a positive step forward towards the circular economy, but which do not go far enough (see EUROPE 11113).
Matthias Groote MEP (S&D , Germany), the outgoing chair of the committee on the environment, who will keep a seat in this committee under its new configuration, welcomes the fact that the Commission has prioritised proposals on recycling and resource efficiency. “The 70% recycling target is definitely welcome. At the same time, the proposal as it stands is too weak to respond to the challenges in the field of resource use in the EU”, he said. He argued that a “credible transition” to the circular economy “should include monitoring use of land and water, and tackle our 100-million-tonnes-a-year food waste mountain”. The new Parliamentary committee on the environment, which will hold its constitutive meeting on Monday 7 July, will discuss the proposals.
The European Environmental Bureau (EEB) welcomes the proposals, but deplores its shortcomings. “The waste policy reforms set bold targets for recycling which are good for Europe. Importantly, it will harmonise the way recycling rates are now calculated across Europe”, said Piotr Barczak, the EEB's policy officer on waste. However, the EEB is disappointed that the proposals contain no specific provisions to prepare for re-use targets.
The network of European environmental NGOs welcomes the ban on landfilling recyclable and compostable materials but, in the absence of strong provisions to restrict the burning of waste, it is concerned that previously landfilled material will, in future, end up being incinerated. (AN)