Waste Management (Directive)

The European Commission wants to bring about stricter compliance with the waste hierarchy by introducing quantitative targets for recycling and the avoidance of food waste. A new "early-warning system" will indicate at an early stage if Member States are at risk of failing to meet the targets.

cepPolicyBrief

Standard EU recycling targets ignore the varying conditions in the Member States and violate the principle of subsidiarity. The quantitative target for avoiding food waste is disproportionate and therefore violates EU law. The new early-warning system means that the Commission can react more quickly to deficits in the implementation of waste legislation in the Member States.