Leaked EU document signals end of circular economy plans

The documents, seen by letsrecycle.com today (December 11), confirm that the Commission, under the leadership of the new President Jean-Claude Juncker, intends to remove pending proposals that ‘do not match our objectives or which are going nowhere’ from the table.

A final version of the document is due to be circulated when the Commission formally adopts its 2015 work programme on Wednesday (December 16). The draft confirms that the proposals to update the Waste Framework, Packaging and Packaging Waste and Landfill Directives are to be abandoned, as the Commission reasons there is ‘no forseeable agreement’ on the proposals.

Focus

Stating a commitment “to do different things and to do things differently” the document highlights the Commission’s intention to “focus on the ‘big things’ like jobs and growth”. The document adds that EU citizens “want less EU interference on the issues where Member States are better equipped to give the right response at national and regional level”.

However, while it is set to drop plans to pursue updated legislation on waste with the 70% recycling target for 2030, actions to toughen measures on air quality look set to be reviewed rather than dropped, with the Commission seeking to modify the clean air proposals as part of the legislative follow up to the 2030 Climate Package.

Commitment

The Commission claims that despite removing the clean air proposals from the table, it is still ‘strongly committed’ to the objectives of the plans, and that the proposals are of ‘no use’ if they are dormant on a negotiation table and are ‘overtaken by events’.

The ‘circular economy’ policy package was put together under the stewardship of the former Environment Commissioner Janez Potocnik and includes plans to increase targets for the recycling of municipal to 70% by 2030 and for higher targets for recycling packaging waste.

The draft documents follow rumours which surfaced this morning alleging that the two pieces of environmental legislation were likely to be taken off the table by President Juncker and his deputy Frans Timmermans (see letsrecycle.com story).

Mr Juncker and Mr Timmermans have gathered with the chairs of the political groups that make up the European Parliament in a behind closed doors meeting Brussels today (December 11), in which they will discuss the Commission’s Programme for 2015. Details of the meeting have yet to emerge.