Commission reviews implementation of EU waste rules, proposes actions to help 14 Member States meet recycling targets

The report is based on national data on the implementation of EU waste legislation between 2013 and 2015, and studies on municipal waste, construction and demolition waste, hazardous waste and waste electrical and electronic equipment.
The early warning reports aim to assist Member States at risk of failing to meet the 2020 target of 50 % preparation for re-use/recycling of municipal waste. They build on previous support provided by the Commission to help Member States comply with EU law in the area of municipal waste management, and are the result of extensive consultation with the respective national authorities in charge of waste management.
In 2016, Europeans generated on average 480 kg of municipal waste per person, 46 % of which was recycled or composted, while a quarter was landfilled. Municipal waste represents only around 10 % of the total waste generated in the EU, but it is one of the most complex streams to manage due to its diverse composition, its large amount of producers and fragmentation of responsibilities. A specific challenge is recycling of plastics with only 40% of plastic packaging being recycled in 2015.
Landfilling is the least preferable waste treatment option. While amounts of landfilled municipal waste have fallen steadily in the EU as a whole (dropping by 18% during the 2013-2016 period), the average landfilling rate for municipal waste in the EU still stood at 24 % in 2016. Large differences across the EU persist: in 2016 10 Member States still landfilled over 50 % of municipal waste, while five reported rates above 70 %.

The report gives an overview of progress and implementation challenges for several waste streams, including municipal waste, construction and demolition waste, hazardous waste, waste electrical and electronic equipment, packaging waste, and suggests areas for improvement for each of them.

For municipal waste, 14 Member States have been identified as at risk of missing the 2020 target of 50% recycling: Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia and Spain. For these countries the Commission presents blueprints for action to ensure compliance with EU waste legislation. These actions include more effective separate collection to ensure high quality recycling, efficient Extended Producer Responsibility schemes, economic instruments such as landfill and incineration taxes, and improved data quality.

Commissioner for Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Karmenu Vella, said: "With the EU waste rules recently adopted by the European Parliament and by the Council of Ministers, Europe can become the global front-runner for modern waste management and further develop its circular economy. There are still differences across Europe, but progress is necessary and possible if the respective national and local authorities implement the actions identified in this report. The Commission is there to help by offering technical assistance, structural fund support and support in the exchange of best practices."

Legal obligations on the management of municipal waste are laid down in the Waste Framework Directive.

These include a 50 % municipal waste preparing for re-use/recycling target to be achieved by 2020. The Directive was recently revised to include new and more ambitious targets: 55 % to be achieved by 2025, 60 % by 2030 and 65 % by 2035. The revised Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive introduces a new plastic packaging recycling target of 55% to be reached by 2030.

In a follow-up to this report, the Commission will undertake high-level circular economy visits to the Member States at risk of not meeting the 2020 municipal waste targets, to discuss the opportunities and challenges with the national, regional and local authorities and the relevant stakeholders, including businesses.

The Commission will continue to support Member States in their implementation efforts, including through technical assistance (e.g. via the Environmental Implementation Review and exchange of best practices) and with EU funds. It is up to national authorities, however, to intensify the process of necessary policy reform and step up action on the ground.