European Waste Management Industry Converges at Annual FEAD Conference

15 October 2010 The European Federation of Waste Management and Environmental Services (FEAD) - representing the European waste management industry - convened approximately 100 participants from 16 countries, to its annual conference in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The conference was co-organised by FEAD's Dutch member association, DWMA, and was chaired by Peter Kurth, incoming-President of FEAD. The FEAD President, Carlo Noto La Diega, welcomed the participants and provided the audience with an overview of the association. He reminded the audience of the FEAD Memorandum, setting the priorities of our sector for 2009-2014. The President of DWMA, Pieter H. Hofstra, emphasised the need to use raw materials in a more resource efficient way, suggesting that “European minimum standards could be introduced to prevent the landfilling of recoverable waste”. Mieke De Schoenmakere, from the Flemish waste agency OVAM, representing the current Belgian EU Presidency, reported on its intention to support the Commission's flagship initiative on resource efficiency and to move towards sustainable materials management. Judith Merkies, Member of the European Parliament (S&D), called for a shift in paradigm from a material to a resource hierarchy. In her opinion, the concept of 'resource intelligence' - which focuses on the most efficient purpose of the material - should substitute the concept of resource efficiency. The first session was dedicated to the implementation of the Waste Framework Directive. Andreas Versmann, from DG Environment, presented the main challenges the Commission is facing in ensuring its proper enforcement. The key issues he focused on were the environmentally sound management of waste, moving waste management up the waste hierarchy and turning waste prevention policy into a reality. Versmann outlined the next steps regarding the Waste Framework Directive, particularly that member states have until 12 December 2010 to transpose it into national legislation. He said "the European Commission would monitor compliance by putting in place measures ensuring notification of transposing legislation and measures ensuring compliance of the transposing legislation in substance". Christophe Cros, Vice-President of FEAD and President of FEAD's French member association, FNADE, presented the challenges and opportunities from the industry point of view. Whereas recycling and energy-from-waste represent opportunities for our sector, the real challenge lies in identifying the border between both concepts, which will depend more and more upon the price of energy and raw materials and the availability of technologies. He also pledged for a harmonisation of methodologies and definitions to ensure a proper implementation of the Directive. Hilda Farkas, the newly appointed deputy director from the FEAD Hungarian member association closed the first session. She spoke on the various aspects of the implementation of the Waste Framework Directive in Hungary and the challenges faced including changes in definitions, extended producer responsibility and waste management planning. The second session focused on the efficient use of resources. Soledad Blanco, Director for Industry at DG Environment, outlined the contributions European waste policy can deliver in order to reach the goal of a resource efficient Europe. She outlined the on-going evaluation of the Thematic Strategies on Waste Prevention and Recycling and on the Sustainable Use of Natural Resources. Blanco also stressed the importance of ensuring the full implementation of the existing acquis, the optimal use of economic instruments, a better link between resource and product policies and the improvement of EU recycling markets. She concluded by emphasising that resource efficiency is directly linked with industry competitiveness. Kees Plug, Director of Sustainable Production at the Dutch Ministry of Environment, presented the Dutch case example on sustainable chain management and green public procurement practices in the Netherlands. The President of the German member association BDE and incoming FEAD president, Peter Kurth, presented the way towards a recycling and resource-efficient European society. He underlined FEAD Member Associations' willingness to cooperate in achieving a harmonised implementation of the Waste Framework Directive in the Member States. The final session was dedicated to best-practice examples in the waste management business. Peter Hodecek, representing FEAD's Austrian Waste Management Association, VÖEB, underlined the importance of public private partnerships in the waste management sector, particularly with reference to Central and Eastern European countries. He thereby underlined the benefits of PPPs in making public services more cost-effective and efficient. Chris Jones, Chairman of the Health and Safety Working Group of FEAD British member association, ESA, demonstrated the waste management sector's commitment to health and safety issues referring in particular to the UK case example. Gary Crawford, representing FEAD's French member association, FNADE, spoke on the EpE Protocol, which is an industry voluntary agreement to ensure a harmonised approach to carbon reporting for the waste management sector.