On Wednesday 14 February, the European Parliament’s Environment Committee adopted its position by 72 votes to none, with 3 abstentions (rapporteur: Anna Zalewska, ECR, Polish) on the European Green Deal proposal to amend the Waste Framework Directive (2008/98) to reduce food and textile waste (see EUROPE 13216/3).
Food waste. MEPs note the reduction targets to be set by Member States on a per capita basis. This would be 20% less in food processing and manufacturing (instead of 10%) and 40% less per capita in retail, catering, food services and households (instead of 30%) than the annual average generated between 2020 and 2022 (the Commission proposed 2020 as the reference year, the only one for which it currently has data).
These targets should be achieved at national level by 30 December 2030. Instead of a review in 2027 to set a target of halving emissions by 2030 – the target originally set out in the ‘Farm to Fork’ strategy – the compromise provides for the Commission to assess the possibility and present appropriate legislative proposals to introduce higher targets for 2035 (at least 30% and 50% respectively).
Textile waste. MEPs include non-household products, carpets, mattresses, sales via online platforms, and provide for the monitoring of exported used textiles.
MEPs want EU countries to set up extended producer responsibility (EPR) systems 18 months after the directive comes into force (instead of 30 months), and for Member States to ensure the separate collection of textiles for re-use and recycling by 1 January 2025.
Parliament is due to vote at the March plenary session. It will be up to the European Parliament to be formed following the next election to take up the torch.
See the compromise: https://aeur.eu/f/aum (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)