Eurobrief October 2011

In October 2011, CEMBUREAU has issued a position paper on the issue of lifting of the waste status. In this respect, the revised Waste Framework Directive (Directive 2008/98/EC)has opened up the possibility to lift, through comitology, the waste status for certain waste streams.

On 26 October 2011, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) adopted its own initiative opinion on ‘The processing and exploitation, for economic and environmental purposes, of industrial and mining waste deposits in the European Union’.

On 7 October 2011, the European Commission (Directorate General for Enterprise & Industry) highlighted the achievements of the European cement in an article published in its online magazine, entitled Sustainable industry: delivering resource-efficient growth and jobs.

On 10 October 2011 the Environment Council called upon the European Commission to produce a proposal for the 7th Community Environment Action Plan (7th EAP) which addresses the challenges and objectives related to improving environmental policy instruments.

The Council has decided not to oppose to the European Commission’s draft Decision on the application and calculation methods concerning the recycling and recovery targets under the Waste Framework Directive. Unless the European Parliament opposes the decision, the Commission may adopt it.