Exchanges between the Member States’ ambassadors to the EU (Coreper) on the revision of the Waste Framework Directive on Wednesday 12 February have not necessarily reduced the number of disagreements with the European Parliament (see EUROPE 13575/4), as negotiations resume on Tuesday 18 February.
The revision of the framework directive on food and textile waste should accelerate the fight against food waste in the EU and involve textile manufacturers in the fight against waste.
Food waste. According to a source close to the dossier, Member States are not in favour of the higher waste reduction targets proposed by the European Parliament, and are all in agreement that they prefer 2023 as the reference year.
It was also agreed that provisions for food donations should be voluntary, whereas the European Parliament wants to make food donations compulsory for economic operators.
Textile waste. The EU Council’s position of allowing 30 months for the implementation of extended producer responsibility could perhaps change, according to a majority of Member States. However, this idea will remain as close as possible to the general approach of the Council of the EU and, therefore, without accepting the eighteen months requested by the European Parliament.
The European Parliament’s desire to exclude micro-enterprises from the principle of extended producer responsibility has not been heeded by the Member States’ ambassadors either.
Several sources have told Agence Europe that Member States continue to broadly support their inclusion. The option put forward by the Polish Presidency of the EU Council, of inclusion 24 months after the establishment of extended producer responsibility schemes, was not accepted. The Member States felt that this additional adjustment period would not reduce the administrative burden on micro-enterprises.
The disagreements over how to regulate the “environmental impact” of fast fashion could be resolved “with a few adjustments”, according to a source who felt that the “path was clear” to reach an agreement with the Parliament and not to put off this subject until later. (Original version in French by Florent Servia)