Progress had been made in the interinstitutional negotiations on the proposed EU regulation to create stricter concentration limit values for persistent organic pollutants in waste by the evening of Tuesday 31 May, but negotiations were not concluded.
Member States’ ambassadors to the EU (Coreper) were briefed on Wednesday 1 June on the constructive atmosphere in which the second ‘trilogue’ between the European Parliament’s negotiating team led by Martin Hojsík (Renew Europe, Slovakia) and the French Presidency of the EU Council, assisted by the European Commission, took place. The French Presidency has not received a new negotiating mandate.
As a reminder, the proposed revision of Annexes IV and V of Regulation (EU) 2019/1021 on POPs aims to update this regulation to take into account the EU’s commitments under the Stockholm International Convention, which it transposes, as well as new technological developments.
Limit values were discussed for all of these highly toxic chemical substances, with the exception of perfluorohexanesulphonic acid (PFHxS).
This was agreed, as this POP is not included in the Commission’s October 2021 proposal and the EU Council, unlike the European Parliament, does not wish to pre-empt the outcome of COP10 of the Stockholm Convention (Geneva, 6-17 June) (see EUROPE 12961/13).
The two most sensitive political issues are around dioxins and furans as well as PBDEs, where the European Parliament and the EU Council need to find a solution at the technical level to agree on a limit value that is technically feasible for the Member States and a timetable that can satisfy the Parliament. The latter remains strict and much more ambitious than the EU Council, which is sticking to its position.
As regards the harmonised classification of waste, the two sides will have to work a little more on the technical level to reach agreement, but a solution is in sight.
The third ‘trilogue’ is scheduled for 20 June, after COP10. A first reading agreement is expected before the end of June. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)