Revision of the Waste Framework Directive

1. Revision of the Waste Framework Directive Dr. Thomas Rummler Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety FEAD Conference 26 October 2006 Cologne ___________________________________________________________________________ Dr. Thomas Rummler – Bundesministerium für Umwelt, Naturschutz und Reaktorsicherheit

2. General Aims of BMU • Strengthening the protection of natural resources • Specifying the waste definition • Specifying the distinction between recovery and disposal of waste • Implementation of the principle of Producer Responsibility • Strengthening environmental standards ___________________________________________________________________________ Dr. Thomas Rummler – Bundesministerium für Umwelt, Naturschutz und Reaktorsicherheit

3. Waste Definition • Definition should be limited to movable property • Problem: unexcavated contaminated soil COM-Proposal: No applicability of WFD on „unexcavated contaminated soil“, if it is „already covered by other Community legislation“ Problem: further legal uncertainty unclear if, when and of what quality Directive on soil will come into effect ___________________________________________________________________________ Dr. Thomas Rummler – Bundesministerium für Umwelt, Naturschutz und Reaktorsicherheit

4. Distinction Waste / By-Product • COM: Clarification via non-binding „guidelines“ Problem: legal uncertainty remains clarification is left to ECJ-jurisdiction COM holds full power of interpretation • German suggestion: general legal regulation in WFD by-product, if the holder wishes at the time of production to use these substances or to sell them for use according to the law; such use must be certain and must not require any prior processing specification of the provision for certain wastes by means of procedure of comitology ___________________________________________________________________________ Dr. Thomas Rummler – Bundesministerium für Umwelt, Naturschutz und Reaktorsicherheit

5. End of Waste characteristic • COM: Specification for „secondary products“ by comitology general criteria: no negative environmental impacts, product-like features, existence of a market • German suggestion: general legal regulation in WFD end of waste,when substance has been recovered and the intended use of this “product” guarantees the required protection of human health and the environment specification for certain substances or objects by comitology ___________________________________________________________________________ Dr. Thomas Rummler – Bundesministerium für Umwelt, Naturschutz und Reaktorsicherheit

6. Principle of Extended Producer Responsibility • EPR is integrated in some EU-Directives (ELV, WEEE, Batteries) • EPR enables promotion of protection of resources and avoidance of waste • EPR promotes internalization of external costs • EPR may be implemented through regulatory measures or voluntary agreements • when applying EPR technical and economic feasibility as well as sustainability aspects shall be considered in order to ensure flexibility • EPR is more efficient than bureaucratic waste prevention programmes ___________________________________________________________________________ Dr. Thomas Rummler – Bundesministerium für Umwelt, Naturschutz und Reaktorsicherheit

7. Environmental standards • COM: authorisation of waste treatment installations according to the IPPC-Directive (Best Available Technique - BAT) Problem: IPPC-Directive and BAT only cover installation-related risks, they do not cover the transfer of pollutants from wastes into products • German suggestion: Introduction of standard of „Best Available Waste Management Technique“ (BAWMT) • MS shall also ensure that no danger to human health or damage to the environment arise from substances or objects resulting from recovery operations • MS shall lay down requirements for the recovery or disposal of wastes in the form of generally binding provisions, these shall be based on the best available waste management techniques ___________________________________________________________________________ Dr. Thomas Rummler – Bundesministerium für Umwelt, Naturschutz und Reaktorsicherheit

8. „Best Available Waste Management Technique“ (BAWMT) • BAWMT enables to also cover substance-related risks • BAWMT is to be defined according to BAT • BAWMT ensures a benchmark as high as the one covering installation-related risks is to be observed • Specification of the benchmark by directives (ex.: biodegradable waste) ___________________________________________________________________________ Dr. Thomas Rummler – Bundesministerium für Umwelt, Naturschutz und Reaktorsicherheit

9. Waste Hierarchy guiding principle for legislative measures: • prevention • recovery • reuse • recycling • other recovery, e.g. energy recovery • disposal guiding principle offers sufficient flexibility for MS by also considering criteria such as technical feasibility, economical viability and environmental impacts when applying the principle ___________________________________________________________________________ Dr. Thomas Rummler – Bundesministerium für Umwelt, Naturschutz und Reaktorsicherheit

10. Other items • Protection of public waste managements structures Network of installationsfor disposal and for the recovery and disposal of mixed municipal waste from private households otherwise the principle of self-sufficiency and proximity threatens to be invalidated for the core area of government public service • Waste prevention programmes shall be deleted imply far-reaching bureaucratic and administrative obligations should be left to the discretion of member states (better regulation) • Biowaste Directive guideline for quality standards not sufficient demands for seperate collection, treatment and methodology ___________________________________________________________________________ Dr. Thomas Rummler – Bundesministerium für Umwelt, Naturschutz und Reaktorsicherheit

11. Revision of the Waste Framework Directive Thank you very much for your attention! further informations on: www.bmu.de Dr. Thomas Rummler Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety ___________________________________________________________________________ Dr. Thomas Rummler – Bundesministerium für Umwelt, Naturschutz und Reaktorsicherheit