The European Commission announced on Tuesday it intends to begin infringement proceedings against member states failing to meet current waste management targets by sending them letters of formal notice letters.
The targets, detailed in the Waste Framework Directive, the Directive on Waste and Electronic Equipment, and the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive, impose legally binding obligations upon member states regarding the collection, recovery, reuse and recycling of waste. The latest data reported to the European Union (EU) shows that all 27 member states have failed to meet various targets across the directives, particularly in the area of electronic waste. Consequently, the European Commission stated it would commence infringement procedures against each of the member states, potentially leading to penalties for those who fail to satisfactorily address and justify their shortcomings.
Waste management continues to be a pressing issue across Europe, with environmental pollution estimated to cause over 18 percent of cardiovascular deaths annually. The EU sought to address health and environmental in recent decades with the imposition of new waste management and resource use legislation, including its single-use plastic ban in 2019. The current framework appears to have successfully reduced overall waste production, with each EU citizen producing an estimated average of 4.8 tons of waste per year in 2020, down from 5.0 tons in 2010. However, a recent report by the commission displays numerous parties remain at risk of failing to meet several of the 2025 municipal waste management targets
The commission now urges the states to “boost their implementation efforts” in order to meet obligations and comply with the upcoming 2025, 2030 and 2035 targets imposed under the waste management directives. Each state must respond to the letters issued by the commission addressing their shortcomings within two months. Failure to comply with this deadline may result in the matter being referred to the EU Court of Justice, which may choose to issue the states fines.
