| Author (Person) | Carstens, Karen |
|---|---|
| Series Title | European Voice |
| Series Details | Vol.10, No.14, 22.4.04 |
| Publication Date | 22/04/2004 |
| Content Type | News |
|
By Karen Carstens Date: 22/04/04 A DIRECTIVE requiring EU member states to recover and recycle a greater proportion of packaging waste by 31 December 2008 was published in the European Communities' official journal on 18 February, triggering immediate entry into force. Governments have until 18 August 2005 to transpose the rules, finalized last December, into the national law body. Updating the 1994 packaging directive, the new law requires at least 60% recovery of packaging waste and 55-80% recycling by the end of 2008. It sets new material-specific targets by the same time: 60% for glass, paper and board, 50% for metals, 22.5% for plastics and 15% for wood. Greece, Ireland, Portugal and the ten countries joining the EU on 1 May must meet the targets between 2011-15. Countries can exceed maximum recycling targets as long as they avoid market distortions or hampering other states' efforts to comply. Incineration with energy recovery continues to count towards the directive's waste recovery targets. But the EU institutions have pledged to review this at the earliest opportunity in the light of European Court of Justice rulings on the subject. At the same time, the Commission has set itself the task of promoting prevention and could propose measures to ensure that new packaging is put on the market only if the producer has taken all the necessary measures to minimize its impact on the environment. By 30 June 2004, the Commission is required to report on implementation. It should deal with additional prevention measures, the possible development of a packaging environment indicator, packaging waste prevention plans, encouragement of reuse, producer responsibility and efforts to reduce or possibly phase out hazardous substances in packaging by 2010. EU governments and the European Parliament must, no later than 31 December 2007, fix new recovery and/or recycling targets for 2009-14. This process is to be repeated every five years. Meanwhile, the Commission is due to publish an EU waste recycling and prevention strategy in September. |
|
| Source Link | http://www.european-voice.com/ |
| Related Links |
|
| Subject Categories | Environment |
