The European Committee of the Regions and the European Parliament have joined forces to push the EU towards more ambitious waste management directives and a boosted circular economy action plan.
The Committee said that cities and regions have the support of the European Parliament in their call to incorporate more ambitious targets within the waste legislative package currently under review.
Together with the European Parliament’s Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) committee, the European Committee of the Regions said that it is building a coalition to boost the circular economy through higher reuse and recycling targets, drastic reduction of waste landfill and a robust reinforcement of extended producer responsibilities.
The economic impact of the waste legislative package was said to be substantial as more than 180.000 direct jobs could be created in this sector by 2030.
Domenico Gambacorta, President of the Province of Avellino and CoR rapporteur of the opinion on the legislative proposals amending waste directives said: "We are pleased to see Members of the European Parliament sharing our positions on important measures such as increasing the reuse and recycling of municipal waste from 65% to 70%, strengthen the extended producer responsibility and phasing out landfilling."
The bodies also called for specific targets applying to construction and demolition waste, to be met by 2025 and 2030, and separate binding targets for waste streams such as furniture, fabrics and waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE).
"The Maltese Presidency is prioritising the waste legislative proposals with several Working Party meetings currently ongoing. We aim at first reading negotiations with the European Parliament to commence under our Presidency,” said José Herrera, minister for environment of Malta.
“We welcome contributions of local and regional authorities to the waste legislative proposals,” he continued. “We are now working with Member States to advancing in balanced compromises on some of the main issues, such as key definitions, targets and calculation rules, as well as extended producer responsibility."
Localised
CoR explained that local and regional leaders are closely following the negotiation process as the European Parliament is to vote on new legislative proposals during its 13-16 March plenary session.
"Many cities and regions go already beyond waste management and adopt integrated circular economy strategies," commented Babette Winter, Thuringia State Secretary for Europe and Culture and CoR rapporteur on the circular economy as she moderated a session on regional circular economy and waste management best practices.
Food Waste
On food waste, both the CoR and the European Parliament are calling Member States to agree on a food waste reduction target of 30% by 2025 and 50% by 2030.
Food waste in the EU is estimated at some 89 million tonnes, or 180 kg per capita per year.
MEP Mirian Dalli, MEP Chair of the Circular Economy Working Group stressed the importance of binding targets "without which we can never expect to experience real change".
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