Brussels, 17/06/2008 (Agence Europe) - On 17 June in Strasbourg, the European Parliament opened the way to revision of the framework directive on waste management, which will impose new targets on member states for re-using or recycling materials up to 2020. This will allow the Commission to set out waste prevention targets at a later date. Following the line of their rapporteur, Caroline Jackson (EPP-ED, United Kingdom), a large majority of MEPs (673 votes for, 10 against) ratified the second reading compromise reached at the beginning of June with the Council and Commission in an attempt to avoid conciliation procedure (EUROPE 9675). This greatly disappointed the Greens/EFA Group and the GUE/NGL, which wanted the Parliament to adopt its environment committee's hard line to face down the Council (EUROPE 9640).
Caroline Jackson, however, believes that the text approved in the form of a “common amended position” constitutes a major advance because it contains “achievable recycling targets” by leaving it up to member states to decide on how to attain them, in respect of subsidiarity. The rapporteur also emphasised that “this is the first time that mandatory recycling targets have been proposed for household waste and construction and demolition waste”.
The text confirms a hierarchy on different options for waste management, which classifies processing on their ecological effects (preference for prevention, followed by re-use, then recycling, then other evaluation methods, and elimination of waste in safe conditions as a last resort). Incineration corresponds to certain energy efficiency criteria, so that it can be considered as a recovery operation rather than disposal.
The compromise strengthens provisions on waste prevention by obliging member states to elaborate national prevention programmes and the European Commission to report back on these programmes and set out prevention targets.
It clarifies, through precise definitions, what is understood by recycling, recovery and waste. A clear distinction is made between waste and bi-products that may be used by industry, such as glass, metal or compost. The text also defines when waste has been adequately assessed (through recycling or other treatments) as no longer being waste.
The text stipulates that member states should set new recycling targets to be achieved by 2020, including recycling rates of 50% for household (glass, paper, plastics and metals) and similar wastes and 70% for construction and demolition waste. No target has been set for manufacturing and industrial waste.
The Greens/EFA Group said that the vote at the Parliament is “very disappointing and does not respond to European needs” because mountains of waste are piling up. The Greens/EFA affirmation means that it is criticising parliament for having abandoned its initial demand for stabilising the volume of waste by 2012, followed by a reduction in this volume from 2020. It is also disappointed to have accepted, to satisfy the Council, consideration of certain incineration operations as valid disposal techniques. Marie Anne Isler Béguin (Greens/France) said: “I am particularly disappointed by the greening of incinerators through describing incineration as energy recovery. This provision creates the impression that incinerators are good for the environment and public health, which is not the case”. She also said that these incinerators release “dioxins into the atmosphere and therefore help develop serious illnesses. Incinerators produce a level of CO2 that is incompatible with the fight against greenhouse gases”.
The European Environment Bureau (EEB), the network of environmental NGOs, is on the same wavelength and said that it was very disappointed that the Parliament had “accepted a pre-arranged deal that sets inadequate European recycling targets and no target for waste prevention”. The EEB deplores the fact that on recycling, the legal obligation on member states focuses on what measures to adopt rather than on what targets to achieve.
The European Commission welcomed this agreement and European Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas said: "This legislation marks a shift in thinking about waste from an unwanted burden to a valued resource and helps to make Europe a recycling society… with clearer definitions, greater emphasis on prevention of waste and ambitious new recycling goals. The clear definitions and waste management principles it sets out will resolve existing interpretation problems, reduce the number of Court cases and create a sound legal basis for the functioning of the waste treatment sector." Once adopted, the directive (an EU strategic thematic pillar on prevention and waste recycling) will replace the current framework directive (2006/12/EC), the directive on dangerous waste (91/689/EEC) and the directive on used oils (75/439/EEC). (A.N./transl.rh)