AUTHOR: Jonathan Baker

IEEP Analysis Briefing: Sustainable Consumption and Production

Management of bio-waste remains one of the priorities of EU waste policy, with all parties convinced that there are significant potential benefits to improving its management. There is however some disagreement as to how to achieve this. The European Commission is of the view that existing legislation is capable of driving improvements and the Parliament, Council and Spanish, Belgian and Hungarian Presidencies have all called for a separate bio-waste Directive. The debate continues with the Commission trenchant in their position and the other institutions limited by their inability to require the Commission to produce a separate Directive; the outcome is uncertain. What seems clear is that promoting mandatory separate collection of bio-waste, setting quality standards and continued diversion of bio-waste from landfill will continue to be key objectives; how this will be achieved remains to be seen.