Waste law targets ‘recycling society’

By Emily Smith

Date: 03/11/05

The European Commission hopes to make Europeans use less and recycle more with the publication of a proposed new law, expected later this month. The waste directive, to be presented along with a more general 'thematic strategy' on 30 November, attempts to deal with problems ranging from what to do with waste to what waste actually is.

"The long-term goal is for the EU to become a recycling society," says the strategy, whether this means re-using waste as new materials or burning waste for energy - known as energy recovery.

The growing amount of European waste, together with poor implementation of existing EU waste laws, led to waste being highlighted as a priority in the 2002 'Sixth community environment action programme' on key areas of environmental concern.

If adopted, waste will be the third of seven thematic strategies from the Commission, following air pollution and the marine environment earlier this year. It could be published on the same day as strategies on resource use and soil.

Drafts of the waste strategy and directive, seen by European Voice, are currently being discussed by the Commission's various departments.

The proposals update the 1975 EU waste framework directive. They put far greater emphasis on efficient "incineration with energy recovery" as a green option than previous EU legislation. The directive would also set standards for energy recovery plants.

The definitions of 'key concepts' like recovery, disposal and even waste itself are tightened up to avoid confusion. All EU countries are asked to draw up "waste prevention programmes concentrating on the key environmental impacts".

The directive stresses the importance of using economic instruments, such as tax breaks, to promote greener waste policies. As with existing EU laws, member states are encouraged to avoid dumping waste in landfills - generally considered the most environmentally damaging option.

Commission spokeswoman Barbara Helfferich said the measures proposed "restructure, but do not change" the current EU approach to waste. Environmental aims set out in a 2003 document 'Towards a thematic strategy on waste' were, she added "pristinely preserved". She said the draft proposals focused above all on preventing waste, rather than on favouring one waste treatment over another, and on encouraging member states to improve resource use.

The Confederation of European Waste to Energy Plants (CEWEP) welcomed the new support for "incineration with energy recovery". Ella Stengler of CEWEP also said the energy efficiency standards set out by the directive were "good", but that they should make more allowances for regional differences.

But the European Environmental Bureau (EEB), a green group, was angry to see energy efficient incineration promoted as a green waste option. The EEB said that recycling materials was always preferable from an environmental point of view. The EEB's Melissa Shinn said the directive would not lead to an increase in the amount of EU waste recycled and could even mean a decrease.

Shinn complained the strategy completely failed to push a "credible recycling strategy", despite claiming in its title to be "on the prevention and recycling of waste". The EEB also said 25 national waste prevention programmes would be impossible to monitor at EU level.

Article anticipates the presentation of the European Commission's Waste Directive, along with a more general 'Thematic Strategy on Waste', on 30 November 2005.

European Commission: DG Environment: Policies: Waste http://ec.europa.eu/comm/environment/waste/index.htm

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