Member States will now have until December 31, 2008 to reach the next set of packaging waste recovery targets as had been demanded by the Council of Ministers.
The Parliament's environment committee, including Dorette Corbey, the Dutch MEP who originally proposed the amendment to the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive, had wanted a 2006 deadline. But the Council of Ministers argued that this would not be a realistic time frame for industry to achieve the tougher targets.
MEPs have now voted in accordance with the Council's wishes, and also confirmed the target levels, which had already been provisionally agreed by the environment committee and the Council.
The targets agreed are as follows:
Overall recovery: 60% as a minimum by weight.
Overall recycling: 55%
Material-specific recycling: glass – 60%; paper and board – 60%; metals – 50%; plastics – 22.5%; wood – 15%.
Greece, Ireland and Portugal will be given until 2010 to reach the targets. The environment committee had wanted 2009 as the derogation deadline, while the Council of Ministers had wanted 2012. It is likely that this date will still be subject to change in the conciliation process.
Other measures decided in the Parliament's second reading of Ms Corbey's amendment included scrapping the proposed ban on exports counting towards European recovery targets, and a cancellation of the review of targets planned for 2005 in the Directive.
The Parliamentary support for the majority of the Council's wishes is likely to lead to a faster conciliation process than had been feared.
Commenting on the Parliament's vote, environment commissioner Margot Wallstrm said: “Today's vote marks a further milestone towards making recycling of packaging the rule throughout the 15 Member States and, in the near future, the acceding States. I realise there is already a large measure of agreement between Parliament and Council. Therefore, I hope the remaining issues will be rapidly resolved and that the forthcoming conciliation will be very short.”
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