A marathon session is in prospect on Sunday 17 December to try to complete inter-institutional negotiations on the revision of the European waste directives – a key part of the EU’s circular economy package of December 2015 (see EUROPE 11887).
“We’re going to try to conclude this issue”, a European source confirmed on Friday 1 December.
The quantified targets are for recycling and preparation for the reuse of materials. These targets for the framework directive and the three other directives in the package will be the most important political point on the agenda of this, the final meeting negotiators from the European Parliament and the Estonian Presidency of the Council of the EU, assisted by the Commission.
This issue was only just broached in the last, very long trialogue which allowed the negotiators to go through the whole of the framework directive activity and discussion of certain points in the packaging and packaging waste directive – including preparation for reuse – and of a number of points in the landfill directive – notably the rules of calculation.
With regard to the framework directive, agreements in principle have been reached on the waste management plan and the dangerous household waste. Nevertheless, much remains to be done, given that there will be no final agreement on anything until there is agreement on everything.
Agreement still has to be reached on reducing food waste (on which Parliament wants a quantified target), food donations, the methodology to be used for four weeks, producer liability, separate collection of waste and marine litter in particular.
Two or three technical meetings will still be necessary to take matters forward before the 17 December trialogue. Prior to that date, on 13 or 14 December, the dossier will again go to the member state ambassadors to the EU (Coreper) to whom the Estonian Presidency of the Council will submit a compromise text deemed to be and updated negotiating mandate, taking account of all technical progress made in the meantime. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)