Establishment of waste implementation agency discussed

A second informal stakeholder meeting to discuss the creation of an EU waste implementation agency was held earlier this month. At the meeting, Member States acknowledged that there were “serious problems” in law implementation across many parts of Europe and agreed that this was something that should be addressed. Issues to be addressed include updating and clarifying EU legislation, guidance for enforcement and waste management, the coordination of Member State programmes, the assessment and monitoring of waste management plans and waste prevention plans and data gathering on separate collection and recycling and recovery.

The establishment of an EU waste implementation agency, however, is just one of several options currently on the table. Other possible solutions include giving these activities to existing Commission offices, or establishing an IMPEL-type network. The pros and cons of each option will be considered. A consultancy report is due to be published in November, which will examine other possible options. The agency would support EU states in areas such as landfills and waste shipments.