| Author (Person) | Bower, Helen | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Publisher | ProQuest Information and Learning | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Series Title | In Focus | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Series Details | 5.7.03 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Publication Date | 07/07/2003 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content Type | News, Overview, Topic Guide | In Focus | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Producers are likely to have to "green" up the way their products are packaged from 2008 after members of the European Parliament voted to support the Council's common position on the draft Directive on Packaging and Packaging Waste at its second reading on 2 July 2003. The vote means that an agreement between the two institutions on the adoption of the Directive should now be reached relatively quickly through the conciliation procedure with new targets for producers scheduled to be introduced by 31 December 2008. Background In an effort to significantly reduce the amount of packaging and packaging waste produced in the European Union Directive 94/62/EC was adopted in 1994 setting out the following ambitious targets for the Member States concerning the return and/or collection of used packaging:
The Directive also laid down requirements as to the composition and the reuse, recovery and recycling of packaging and promotes European standards on these. In order to monitor the implementation of the objectives, the Member States also had to establish a harmonised system of databases to monitor the data on waste management. More detailed background information can be found in SCADPLUS' section on 'Packaging and Packaging Waste' and the European Commission's DG Environment website. Revision of Directive 94/62/EC Following on from the success of this Directive, the European Commission adopted a proposal [COM(2001)729] on 7 December 2001 a revision of the Directive in order to introduce tougher targets, which would further minimise the impact of packaging and packaging waste on the environment. The proposal followed a detailed consultation with stakeholders and a cost-benefit analysis, which suggested that significant savings could be made by diverting specified amounts of packaging waste to recycling rather than other forms of waste management. The new targets, to be met by 30 June 2006, were as follows:
Specific recycling tragets were also fixed according to materials:
On 3 September 2002, the European Parliament held its first reading on the European Commission's proposal, which it approved subject to certain amendments, such as the inclusion of commercial durable CD and video cases under the definition of packaging and the release paper of self-adhesive labels. MEPs also stated that the export of packaging waste to third countries might not count for the achievements of the targets set out. On 7 March 2003, the Council adopted their common position on the proposal, which was subsequently accepted by the European Commission. This established a longer timeframe for Member States to reach the targets - 2008 instead of 2006 - with Greece, Portugal and Ireland granted an additional four years breathing space. The Council also agreed to alter the targets proposed by the European Commission to the following:
The specific recycling targets according to materials were also amended to:
The European Parliament's Environment Committee, which met on 22 May 2003, agreed to accept the Council's common position on the recovery and recycling targets but called for the European Commission's stricter timeframe to be re-introduced. In addition, it called for a new amendment on the prevention of packaging waste, which stated that from 1 January 2004 new packaging could only be put on the market if the prducer has sought to minimise its environmental impact as much as possible. At the second reading of the proposal on 2 July 2003, MEPs voted against the Environment Committee's suggestions and agreed to the Council's common position, including the 2008 deadline. This unexpected support for the Council's position is likely to lead to a much quicker conciliation process than had been expected. The packaging industry has welcomed the Parliament's vote as it had been concerned that any deadline earlier than 2008 would be totally unrealistic. EUROPEN, the organisation for packaging and the environment, had suggested that to meet the targets by 2006, Member States would have to increase their recycling acheivements by 30% on their 2000 levels. Business organisations, such as Eurocommerce and UNICE, have also welcomed the decision to apply the longer time frame but the vote is likely to disappoint environmental groups. The European Environmental Bureau had earler called for the deadline to be set at 1 January 2006 if the Member States were really committed to reducing the environmental impact of packaging and packaging waste. The European Environmental Bureau (EEB) had also called for more detailed and adequate proposals aimed at improving the environmental impact of packaging. However, with the Council and the European Parliament now in agreement, the EEB looks set to have to wait until a further and more extensive revision of the Directive is carried out by the European Commission in 2007. Even now, the EEB says that with consumption of packaged products growing in the larger EU Member States such as France, Spain, UK and Italy, such a revision should be brought forward to 2005. Further information within European Sources Online:
Further information can be seen in these external links: EU Institutions European Commission Helen Bower 9 July 2003 Background and reporting on the week's main stories in the European Union and the wider Europe. |
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| Subject Categories | Environment | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
