A letter is understood to have been sent from the office of the president of the Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, this week to the newly appointed European Commissioners. In the letter Mr Juncker has stated that items adopted by the former Commission may be subject to review. Crucially, this includes proposals on waste and air quality.
Details of the full contents of the letter are yet to emerge, but it is believed that the wide scope of the proposals contained within the waste package is of concern to the new president.
Review
Speaking to letsrecycle.com today (November 12), MEP for South West England and Gibraltar, and the Conservative Party’s spokesperson within the European Parliament Julie Girling, said: “I think that the way that the package has been produced is under scrutiny. We have not dealt with so many things at once before. I am looking forward to hearing more detail of where they [the Commission] think there may be opportunity to make it better.”
She added: “There are things [in the package] that I would be disappointed if they looked at and did not put back.”
Former Commissioner Potocnik launched the package of measures in July which included proposals for an increased target for Member States to recycle or reuse 70% of municipal waste by 2030, an increase on the current 50% by 2020 target (see letsrecycle.com story).
The Commission is also proposing a ban on sending recyclable materials such as plastics, paper, metals, glass and biodegradable waste to landfill by 2025, as well as phasing out landfilling of waste by 2030.
Dr Potocnik, who spearheaded the development of the proposals, stepped down at the beginning of the month, and has been replaced by the Maltese politician Karmenu Vella.
More to follow.
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