The Circular Economy Package will be supported by tough enforcement, a European Commission official has said.

According to reports by EurActiv, Fulvia Raffaelli, deputy head of unit at DG Grow, lead department on the Package, said the current Commission was “more committed” to policing its rules than its predecessor.

The Circular Economy Package (CEP), which was announced in December last year, includes a common EU target for recycling 65% of municipal waste by 2030 and a target for recycling 75% of packaging waste.

It will also see a binding target to reduce landfill to maximum of 10% of all waste by 2030 and a ban on landfilling of separately collected waste.

“Enforcement is crucial. In DG Grow, and the whole Commission, we are all working very hard on different infringement cases”

The Package was first put forward by the previous Commission, but was dropped in favour of a package with a more “ambitious proposals”.

“Enforcement is crucial,” Raffaelli said at The European Plastic Pipes and Fittings Association (TEPPFA) Forum in Brussels. “In DG Grow, and the whole Commission, we are all working very hard on different infringement cases.”

Despite the threat of infringement cases – legal actions launched by the Commission against EU member states that fail to observe EU law and which can lead to large fines – some EU countries have continuously ignored EU legislation.

“Pragmatism, enforcement and implementation are much more present than before in the discussion,” Raffaelli said. “We need to discuss this with different member states and we are working on that.”

The Commission’s second CEP has arguably lower targets than its predecessor, which could mean the justification of strong enforcement, Raffaelli said.

She also stressed the need for industries to help police the new framework by providing, detailed technical information.

Fuente: CIWM Journal