This
Commission Working Document accompanies the Commission’s report on the progress
achieved in relation to the Thematic Strategy on the Prevention and Recycling
of Waste. It gives detailed references to the data regarding progress in
reaching long term objectives and to the relevant legislation mentioned in
the report. It also includes a summary the key findings of the stakeholder
consultation.
The Commission
notes that current policies have led to a decrease of the relative
environmental impacts per ton of waste treated. However, this is offset
by the negative environmental impacts caused by the expected increase in
waste generation. Without further initiatives, opportunities will be
missed to reduce green house gas emissions and environmental impacts in
general, create jobs and meet the future demands for resources.
The document
stresses the following point:
- continuous
efforts are needed to improve the knowledge-base: new indicators are
needed to measure progress towards a recycling society and to map waste
and material streams and resource flows. Better forecasts of life cycle
based environmental and health impacts of the waste policies with a
specific focus on resource and climate policies should be developed;
- proper implementation
and enforcement of the existing EU waste acquis must remain a priority
notably by ensuring compliance with key EU targets and to the full
implementation of the WFD and the WSR. In this context, a proactive
verification procedure combined with an early warning system on
compliance with key EU targets will be developed based on the national
waste management plans;
- in the light
of the recent accident in Hungary, A particular focus will be set
on the EU coordination of national inspection activities to be based on
result-oriented strategies and on the promotion of peer-review
inspections and independent auditing schemes notably for facilities with
a potential trans-boundary impact;
- significant
room for progress still exists beyond the current EU minimum collection
and recycling targets. To this end, the
introduction of instruments used by well performing Member States should
be strongly encouraged particularly in worse performing Member States.
Optimal combination of economic and legal instruments should be promoted
notably though landfill bans and by applying the producer responsibility
concept to additional waste streams on the basis of a common European
approach;
- improving
the competitiveness of EU recycling industries is essential for the generation of jobs in the EU. In that
context, ensuring that competition takes place within a framework
maintaining high levels of environmental protection is a key priority
for the Commission. In addition, the Commission will look into how to
better prevent illegal exports of waste and ensuring that waste
exported to third countries is treated in high standard facilities,
particularly for ship dismantling;
- waste
policies can help develop the markets of secondary raw materials and strengthen market mechanisms favouring secondary raw
materials should be explored, including economic incentives, notably to
better take into account the significant potential in terms of GHG
emission reduction conferred by recycling;
- defining
more ambitious prevention and recycling targets can directly contribute to meet the Europe
2020 objective of promoting a resource efficient economy. In that
sense, materials having negative environment and health impacts over
their entire life cycle, including on energy use and climate change
should be better targeted. These targets could be incorporated
into monitoring of Member States' progress towards resource efficient
growth in the national reporting for Europe 2020;
- new initiatives to support innovation through Framework
Programme and Innovation Partnerships and better incorporate life-cycle
thinking in policy development will deserve particular attention. Use
of Structural and Cohesion Funds will be encouraged along the lines
of the waste hierarchy and for adoption of best available technologies.
Lastly, the
report notes the need to improve stakeholder participation and raise public
awareness, .as well as better incorporate life-cycle thinking in policy
development. The Commission will make further proposals in 2012.