Brussels, 08/07/2003 (Agence Europe) - Last week, the European Parliament gave the green light to the revision of Directive 94/62/EC on Packaging and Packaging Waste. The revision more than doubles the minimum recycling targets. A conciliation procedure with the Council will probably be needed, however, to strike final agreement. Giving its opinion in second reading on the report by Dorette Corbey (PES, NL), the plenary agreed with most of the Council's common position but retabled specific requests concerning the deadline by which the new targets must be reached by Member States. The question of derogations to the deadlines is the key issue to be settled between the European Parliament and the Council.
The EP agreed with the ambitious collection target (at least 60% of household packaging waste by weight) and recycling target (at least 55% of waste packaging by weight). It also agreed on other targets: per material (60% for glass and paper/board; 50% for metal ; 22.5% for plastic; and 15% for wood), which are to be met by 31 December 2008 as foreseen by the Council. The European Parliament wants the deadline to be extended until 31 December 2010 for Ireland, Greece and Portugal, and for the new Member States to set their own deadlines as long as they are within 18 months of the Directive coming into force. In its report on revising the Directive (to be submitted to Parliament and Council by 2005), the European Commission will set out additional measures required to solve any problems encountered in implementing the Directive.
The Commission welcomed the vote, which will enable the EU to more than double its current minimum recycling targets. In a press release, Environment Commissioner Margot Wallström commented: “In 1999, a total amount of 63.5 million tonnes of packaging waste was generated in the European Union. This corresponds to around 17% of municipal solid waste and 3% of the total waste generation by weight. Today's vote marks a further milestone towards making recycling of packaging the rule throughout the 15 Member States and, in the near future, the acceding States. I realise there is already a large measure of agreement between Parliament and Council. Therefore, I hope the remaining issues will be rapidly resolved and that the forthcoming conciliation will be very short.”
Other amendments voted in by the plenary will require conciliation between the EP and the Council. The main amendments stipulate that Member States shall take all necessary measures to prevent the production of waste (such as national programmes and making manufacturers responsible for reducing the environmental impact of packaging); that the European Commission contribute to waste prevention by encouraging the establishment of European standards to reduce as far as possible the environmental impact of packaging and by unveiling proposals before 30 June 2005 to ensure that packaging cannot be marketed if the manufacturer has not taken all measures to reduce the environmental impact as far as possible without damaging the essential functions of packaging; and in its report on the implementation of the Directive (to be submitted to the EP and the Council as soon as possible, in 2005 at the very latest, that the Commission sets out the technical measures required to solve any problems encountered with, for example, inert packaging materials (which must not make up more than 0.1% of total packaging marketed in the EU by volume), primary packaging for medical equipment and medicines, small packaging and luxury wraps.