What changed between the draft committee report and the plenary report

Added:EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

Added:The Rapporteur of the European Parliament, Mrs. Anna Zalewska MEP, intends to introduce some targeted as well as overhauling changes in the ‘Draft Report on the proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Directive 2008/98/EC on waste (COM(2023) 420 – C9 0233/2023 – 2023/0234(COD))’, i.e. the Draft Report of the review of the Waste Framework Directive.

Added:Firstly, Mrs. Zalewska brings in changes to the areas in which the Commission proposal had focused on; the new provisions pertaining to food and textile waste. The Rapporteur’s changes include improvements to the actual practicality and functionality of provisions on waste reduction programmes, as well as mandating improved methodologies, as to properly enable the pursuit of reduction targets by Member States.

Added:Secondly, the Rapporteur is introducing several overhauling changes to the Waste Framework Directive which pertain to noticeable shortcomings in its current functionality. The Rapporteur namely introduces an objective for the Union and Member States to eliminate illegal landfills in the EU as well as several technical improvements in practises regarding management of municipal waste.

Added:Thirdly, broader changes such as fostering technological innovation and creative solutions as well as information campaigns are also implemented with a view of elevating the profile of waste management and prevention in the Union’s environment policies, as its shortcomings or achievements are immediately evident.

Added:1. changes to Commission proposal

Added:1.1 food waste (Art. 9a, Art. 29a, relevant parts of Art. 3 and Art. 9)

Added:1.1.1 differentiating “food wastage” (food which could have been eaten) from just “food waste” (non-edible parts) more distinctly;

Added:1.1.2 for the targets in Art. 9a par. 4, changing base year from 2020 to 2025, and changing target date from 2030 to 2035;

Added:1.1.3 new Union-wide food waste reduction target by 2035, clarified by 2030 with greater data availability by then;

Added:1.1.4 methodology in Commission Delegated Decision (EU) 2019/1597 of 3 May 2019 requires proper referencing as well as an update in Art. 9a;

Added:1.1.5 taking into consideration seasonal tourist hikes, influxes of refugees and migrants, when accounting for targets in Art. 9a par. 4;

Added:1.1.6 clear distinction for farmers, primary production in Art. 9a par. 4;

Added:1.1.7 clarification that pressure is on those that can better predict clients, buffet style catering, not regular restaurants, as well as attention paid to luxury establishments, yachts, private planes, etc. in Art. 9a;

Added:1.1.8 encouraging the use of food waste for bio-gas, bio-fuels; encouraging technological solutions e.g. phone apps enabling selection of food before expiry;

Added:1.1.9 protecting individual consumers following changes, avoiding food price hikes;

Added:1.2 textile waste (Art. 22a - 22d, Annex IVc, relevant parts of Art. 3 and Art. 11)

Added:1.2.1 horizontal changes including “textile products” instead of “textiles, textile-related, and footwear products listed in Annex IVc”, and “preparing for reuse” rather than “preparation for reuse” as the correct formulation;

Added:1.2.2 adding “used textile products” definition to ensure it is not regarded as waste as it is counterfactual, usage of suitable used textile products and second hand purchasing should be encouraged;

Added:1.2.3 addition of “separate collection point” for textiles; deletion of Commission’s deletion of Member States’ introducing separate collection for textiles in Art. 11 and ensuring consistency with Art. 22d par. 1, banning mix of used and waste textile products, giving deadline for implementing act in Art. 22c par. 9;

Added:1.2.4 optionality for micro and SME producers for textiles EPR scheme, exemptions for collection of donations for victims of natural disasters and others;

Added:1.2.5 adjusting to transposition time for Member States to be in line with necessary implementing act;

Added:1.2.6 additions to Annex IVc, however, future delegated acts should not expand its scope as adjusting EPR schemes;

Added:1.2.7 allocating part of EPR fees to a fund for reuse and repair operations;

Added:1.2.8 focusing to weight, rather than number of textile products in Art. 22c par. 17; Member State information sharing of national register, clarifying information shared by PROs;

Added:1.2.9 introduction of Union-wide indicative target for textile waste reduction for 2040

Added:1.3 fixing inadequate reporting and monitoring (Art. 37, relevant parts of Art. 11, Art. 11b)

Added:1.3.1 Art. 37 par. 3 on Member States not reporting quantitative data on re-use of textiles has been removed;

Added:1.3.2 deadline for implementing act in Art. 37 par. 7;

Added:1.4 transposition time change to be related to necessary implementing acts;

Added:1.5 changes to Article 2 of the Waste Framework Directive have been intentionally left as is in the Commission proposal.

Added:2. changes to original Waste Framework Directive beyond Commission proposal

Added:2.1 eliminating illegal landfills in the EU (new art. 12a, new art. 23a, new 26a, changes to art. 3, art. 17, art. 23, art. 34, art. 35)

Added:2.1.1 introducing definition of illegal landfills, adding a new landfill register;

Added:2.1.2 adding rigidity and requirements regarding permits in Art. 23 (and as in Art. 9 in Landfill Directive);

Added:2.1.3 changing role of dealers and brokers (expanding definition), all must be on a new register in Art. 26a, requirements of Member States to share information of register with each other;

Added:2.1.4 stricter enforcement of sound treatment of hazardous waste, with stricter monitoring of backfilling via groundwater quality and video monitoring in Art. 15, and introducing a deposit system for proof of sound treatment of waste as well as liability and responsibility of producers in Art. 17;

Added:2.1.5 use of penalties, creating targeted fund for waste, additional requirements of dealers and brokers, corporate due diligence on reporting waste management;

Added:2.1.6 more powers to environment protection inspectorates of national authorities;

Added:2.1.7 introducing additional inspections in Art. 34; use of drones and satellite imagery, encouraging new technologies for monitoring; making reporting of illegal landfill sites easier;

Added:2.1.8 addressing trans-border waste issues (intra-EU, extra-EU), relation to revision of Waste Shipment Regulation;

Added:2.2 municipal waste improvement (Art. 11, Art. 11a, new Art. 15a)

Added:2.2.1 municipal waste collection practises require upgrading; encouraging phasing out collection of municipal waste via placing on the street, promoting containers, health concern for humans in new art. 15a;

Added:2.2.2 giving deadline for Commission and EEA reporting obligation on progress towards achieving targets Art. 9a par. 4, Art. 11 par. 2 pts. (c), (d), and (e), and Art. 11 par. 3; (alongside accelerating from 2028 to 2025 Commission’s obligation to review municipal recycling targets)

Added:2.2.3 adding the use of minerals from incinerated municipal waste to being counted as recycling, if used in cement for construction in Art. 11a; giving a deadline for the existing Commission’s obligation to put forward the tight methodology;

Added:2.2.4 mandating Commission analysis by end of 2025 in Art. 11 of producing alternative fuels from different wastes, in line with the analyses mandated for municipal waste;

Added:3. broader changes in waste management as new additions to original Waste Framework Directive beyond Commission proposal

Added:3.1 immediate requirements for EU institution buildings in each Member State to be exemplary in waste management, ensuring food wastage is as close to zero as possible;

Added:3.2 encouraging innovative projects and creative solutions in new Art. 32a for waste management;

Added:3.2.1 Commission support to foster projects from EU funds, especially technological advancements (including projects to clean up rivers, sea shores, lakes, etc.);

Added:3.3 ensuring financial and technical support for Member States;

Added:3.4 enabling information and education campaigns in new Art. 32b, including encouraging thrift shop purchasing, increasing knowledge and active participation of public.

Added:All in all, it is the hope of the Rapporteur that the Parliament, together with the Council and Commission, to bring about a much needed turning point in the fight against waste pollution with policy changes that would markedly improve the way the Union undergoes its waste prevention and waste management programmes.

Added:Waste prevention and management, regarding each waste type, is arguably the most pivotal policy tool in the pursuit of protecting the environment and human health in the Union.