Associations call for scrapping of 'costly' waste assessments
calling on legislators to scrap amendments to the bloc's waste
policy they say would require "additional and costly analysis".
The joint appeal from the Confederation of the Food and Drink Industries of the EU (CIAA) andnine other industry organisations relates to a proposed revision that would fix the EU's wastepolicy into a hierachical system of priorities, giving preferential treatment to using reusable packaging, such as bottles, over recyclable materials.A vote on the policy goes before the Parliament's environmental committee 28 November.
The revision is being considered separately by the Parliament and the Council of Ministers,the EU's top decision-making bodies. The change would require national governments to establish astrict hierarchy of preference between reuse, recycling and other recovery options. The systemis being proposed in an attempt to promote the use of more environmental-friendly materials, with the eventually aim of cutting down on the amount of waste ending up in landfills.
In the past the EU's packagers have lobbied the bloc's legislators to vote against the draftrevision, claiming that it would be too costly to industry and provide no further benefit to theenvironment. They want the status quo to remain in place.
Now industry seems to have accepted that some form of the proposed revisions will be passed. Thecurrent appeal calls on legislators to consider a waste hierarchy system as a "guidingprinciple" rather than a prescriptive regulatory system set out under EU law.
The organisations called for clear definitions for the different stages of waste management setout in the hierarchy and in particular called for the scrapping of a proposal that would requirecompanies to provide environmental studies and assessments justifying why they are using one wastemanagement technique over another that is higher up in the hierarchy.
Industry has estimated that processors and packagers could end up spending about €100,000on each brand to justify the environmental benefits of using a recyclable plastic for their productrather than a reusable bottle.
They also called for legislators not to create any complex procedures requiring the justificationby "controversial and expensive studies such as life cycle analyses, which are oftencomplete and non-standardised".
They also called for a requirement for EU member states to take into account the environmental,economic and social impacts of each individual measure when implementing the hierarchy.
In a press release the CIAA quoted a spokesperson for the coalition said any revision must beapplied in a pragmatic and flexible manner since each local situation and each product and wastestream can be different depending on the region.
"We need to move from following ideology to applying methodology, seeking outeco-efficient solutions based on proportionate cost-benefit values," stated thespokesperson.
Policies to cut down on the amount of packaging used for products and hence reaching the wastestream would be given the highest priority under the system being proposed by legislators.Governments would also be required to put policies in place giving preference to reuse, overrecycling, and recycling over incineration. The lowest level, waste going to landfill, would bediscouraged through the policy.
A European Commission proposal made in December 2005, and subsequently amended in Parliament,restates the principles held in the current waste framework directive. This does not set ahierarchical system between re-use, recycling and other recovery methods, such as incineration.
"It provides for a flexible application of the hierarchy and does not explicitly make apreference between the different recovery options such as re-use, recycling and recovery of energyfor example," Europen, an EU packaging associaton, states in a position paper on the issue.
However legislators subsequently put forward the five step hierarchical system, which is nowbeing considered at the committee stage. Another amendment has been introduced that allowsmanufacturers to submit life-cycle assessments and cost-to-benefit analyses proving that analternative treatment option has a better record for a specific waste stream.
The assessments would allow member states to grant exceptions to the rules.
Europen has argued that waste management policy needs to be flexible enough to take account oflocal factors, such as the nature and composition of the waste streams, the availability of recoveryfacilities, the feasibility of using different recovery measures, public support, as well asgeographic, demographic, economic and environmental conditions.
"Local authorities (and hence consumers) would face higher costs if prevented fromchoosing the optimal waste management solution in their particular local circumstances,"the association argues.
The proposal to put a hierarchal system in place forms part of a revision of the EU's frameworkwaste management framework, a series of policies setting out agreed upon objectives for all memberstates.
The bloc also aims to achieve a unified regulatory system for packaged products in the EU,allowing companies to more easily trade across national borders. Different packaging regulations inthe EU can serve to restrict or prevent market access.
Finland, which holds the EU presidency, wants to put the directive up for vote before the end ofthe year.
Other organisations in the coaliation include the European Brands Association (AIM), Assurre, theRetail, Wholesale and International Trade Representatio (EuroCommerce), EuroCommerce, PlasticsEurope,the European Confederation of Iron and Steel Industries (Eurofer), the European AluminiumAssociation (EAA), the European Container Glass Federation (FEVE), and the Confederation of EuropeanPaper Industries (CEPI).
