Local Authority Waste & Recycling Magazine
Issue link: https://read.utilityweek.co.uk/i/527295
NEWS ANALYSIS Going round in circles The European Commission has announced the first consultation for its new circular economy package. What approach will the UK take now there's an EU referendum on the horizon? David Burrows reports. he European Com- mission has just launched its initial public consultation for a revised circular economy package. The plan is to ensure this iteration is more ambitious, not necessarily in terms of targets, but in taking account of product design, reuse and repair, and sustainable consumption – as well as recycling levels, stronger markets for secondary raw materials and waste policy. Indeed, the package will see a number of waste directives rewritten, including those relating to landfill, packaging and electrical equipment. There is clearly a desire to extend the scope of the original proposals, which were binned back in February. "We need to use our resources more intelligently, design our 6 Local Authority Waste & Recycling July 2015 T products with a view to their reuse and recycling, and set ambitious targets for waste reduction and recycling," said the man overseeing the process, first vice- president Frans Timmermans. That the incoming commission decided to start afresh on this policy has frustrated many in the sector. The original plan wasn't perfect, but it was a start. The wording of the short public consultation suggests we are dealing with a blank sheet of paper. "The questionnaire certainly covers the key elements likely to feature in the package, but it gives very little indication of what measures the commission itself is likely to favour," noted Roy Hathaway, policy advisor for Europe at the Environmental Services Association (ESA). This brings an intriguing dynamic to the UK's role in carving out a new package. The commission has stated, quite clearly, that it will take into account the situation in all member states. But what if the UK is no longer a member state? Has the confirmation of an in-out referendum on EU membership muddied the waters for the UK and weakened its power to negotiate on future policies? Defra was clearly uncomfortable with the old version – officials felt the targets were far too ambitious. Earlier this year, Sarah Steeds, head of the department's producer responsibility team, said meeting the 2030 targets for recycling of key materials would be a "huge challenge", especially for plastic and aluminium. Agreeing new targets will certainly be an area where the UK sector struggles to find common ground – there is a divide between those