BUSINESSEUROPE, which represents 39 business organisations from across the continent including the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), published its view on the circular economy proposals package that was adopted by the European Commission in July.
The package, which includes plans to increase targets for the recycling of municipal and packaging waste is currently being screened by the newly appointed Commissioner Jean-Claude Juncker, who is assessing whether the proposals should be taken forward (see letsrecycle.com story).
BUSINESSEUROPE has called for the proposals to be redrafted, claiming that the package should be approached “as an economic piece of legislation rather than from a purely environmental perspective.”
In a document forwarded to the Commission’s vice president Frans Timmermans on Tuesday (November 25), BUSINESSERUOPE outlined its view on all of the Commission’s pending legislation.
Withdrawal
On the circular economy package the organisation said: “Moving Europe towards a more circular economy model is important from an economic as well as environmental perspective. This is the reason why the six legislative proposals that are part of the circular economy package should be approached as an economic piece of legislation rather than from a purely environmental perspective.
“The proposal should be withdrawn and re-tabled as an economic piece of legislation. The circular economy dossier should take account of issues of wider economic interest (including manufacturing and product design, consumer affairs, research and innovation, security of supply and raw materials) as well as markets beside the environmental dimension which includes recycling, reuse or land-filling.”
The organisation also raised concerns about the proposal to set a resource productivity target, adding that the proposal should be dropped from the legislation altogether.
A decision on the direction that the Commission will take in 2015, including whether the circular economy package will be taken forward, watered down or dropped altogether is due in mid-December.
Commissioners, including the newly appointed Commissioner for the Environment Karmenu Vella are currently in discussions over what aspects of the proposed legislation should be continued. A number of MEPs have already called for the Commission not to scrap the circular economy package.
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