52018SC0415

1.Introduction

This early warning report is part of the Commission's overall implementation report and aims to assist Member States at risk of failing to meet the 2020 target of 50 % preparation for re-use/recycling of municipal waste set out in Article 11(2)(a) of Directive 2008/98/EC. It builds on previous support provided by the Commission to help Member States comply 1 with EU law in the area of municipal waste management. This resulted in country-specific roadmaps 2 being drawn up for the relevant Member States.

The assessment underpinning the early warning report is based on a collaborative and transparent process involving the Member States concerned and an in-depth analysis of their most recent policy developments. This also involved extensive consultation with the authorities in charge of waste management.

The possible actions identified during this process are based on the existing best practices and aim to help Member States in meeting the 2020 municipal waste preparation for re-use/recycling target; they therefore focus on policy measures that can be taken forward in the short term. These actions should be seen as complementary to those recommended in the roadmaps that were drawn up as part of the preceding compliance promotion activities and to the recommendations made in the Environmental Implementation Review 3 .

2.Key findings

In 2016, Cyprus’ municipal waste recycling rate (including composting) reported to Eurostat was 17 % while the landfilling rate was 75 %. Based on an analysis of existing and firmly planned policies in the area of waste management, Cyprus is considered at risk of missing the 2020 target of 50 % preparation for re-use/recycling of municipal waste.

The assessment 4 that underpins the early warning report concludes that Cyprus’ continued difficulties in implementing EU waste law are mainly due to:

·the lack of infrastructure and collection systems for recyclables and for diverting biodegradable waste away from landfills;

·the lack of coordination between different administrative levels and insufficient capacity at the local level; and

·the lack of incentives (including the absence of economic instruments) to prevent waste and improve recycling.

Moreover, the extended producer responsibility (EPR) scheme for packaging in Cyprus is not effective and the monitoring and enforcement of its activity is insufficient.

The table below lists possible actions to support Cyprus’ efforts to improve its waste management.

Overview of possible actions to improve performance

Improving separate collection

1)To ensure that reporting on packaging recycling by producers putting goods on the market is accurate and consistent:

a.systematic audits on companies that provide data on the amount of packaging placed on the market are necessary;

b.a statistically representative compositional analysis of municipal waste would be needed to estimate how much packaging waste is generated and to compare that estimate with the amount reported as placed on the market; and

c.reconciliation of the remaining differences between the two sources to follow.

2)Development of national minimum service standards for waste collection (including bio-waste) to specify, for example, the type and volume of containers, frequency of collection and type of vehicle used, taking into account the type of housing stock, how rural the area is, typical climate, etc.

3)The possibility of designing and implementing a deposit refund scheme for beverage containers to increase the packaging collection rate could be explored.

4)Review of the EPR scheme for packaging and the extent to which the cost of collection is covered by the fees paid by the producers.

5)Roll out of bio-waste collections to public spaces.

6)Support to municipalities to design bio-waste collection systems that are efficient and capture high-quality material. Carrying out trials to ensure a good understanding of the likely yields of the different systems would be beneficial.

Financial incentives

7)Introduction of a landfill tax, while ensuring that all stakeholders are aware of the rate of the tax and the fact that it will be applied for at least 5 years. The final tax level to be sufficiently high to act as an incentive to recycle.

8)Adoption of binding municipal waste recycling targets for municipalities, with financial penalties if they are not met.

9)Roll out of pay-as-you-throw schemes while ensuring :

a.source segregation, including for bio-waste, as stipulated in the national waste management plan;

b.higher frequency door-to-door collection for food waste; and

c.integration of collection locations within the system of green points.

10)Repeal, or at least an increase in line with the consumer price index, of the maximum legal waste fee level that citizens can be charged.

EU funding

11)EU funds to support recycling activities, including separate collection.

Communication and awareness-raising

12)Development of a set of national communications materials addressed to the public for use at local level, with clear and consistent messages. These materials should be used as part of awareness-raising campaigns, in leaflets, and at green points.

Technical support to municipalities

13)Development of a system at national level that provides technical support for municipalities, specifically in the following areas:

a.choosing collection services;

b.service procurement;

c.service management;

d.communication campaigns;

coupled with active sharing of good ideas and practices that can improve efficiency in terms of cost reduction and improvement in performance.

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