Members of the European Parliament’s Committee on the Environment were divided, on Monday 22 June, over the proposal to temporarily suspend the requirements relating to the appointment of an authorised representative in order to reduce the administrative burden linked to extended producer responsibility obligations.
This proposal is part of the environmental legislation simplification package (‘omnibus’ VIII). Ingeborg Ter Laak (EPP, Dutch), the rapporteur for the text, is proposing several safeguards (https://aeur.eu/f/mid ): - limiting the suspension to micro enterprises and small enterprises; - maintaining all other producer obligations (collection, recycling, financing, reporting, traceability and waste management); - continuing to require producers established outside the European Union to appoint an authorised representative; - providing for a clause ending the suspension as soon as the future circular economy legislation enters into force or, at the latest, in 2035. In her view, this approach makes it possible to ease administrative formalities while preserving environmental objectives and a level playing field.
Delara Burkhardt (S&D, German) acknowledged that extended producer responsibility schemes can create difficulties for small businesses engaged in cross-border trade. However, she considered that the Commission proposal risked weakening the authorities’ ability to enforce environmental obligations and could encourage “free riders” (companies that do not comply with the rules but benefit from the system).
The European Commission is working on a broader reform as part of the future circular economy legislation, notably through the creation of a single entry point for producer registration. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)