The Waste Framework Directive review is in motion

Another key milestone is ahead of us. On 25 January 2022, the European Commission launched a call for evidence for an Impact Assessment that will support the revision of the Waste Framework Directive (WFD). The Commission’s proposal for the revision of the Waste Framework Directive, which was last reviewed in 2018, is expected to be published in Q2 2023.

This review will be more targeted than the one carried in 2018 and will address waste prevention, separate collection, waste oils and textiles. The call for evidence already anticipated that the Impact Assessment study will look at three main policy options:

Promote the full implementation of existing measures, particularly those introduced with the WFD revision of 2018
Provide additional guidance on different areas, such as waste prevention, separate collection and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) requirements.
Establish new regulatory measures, including possible overall and/or product-specific prevention measures, the expansion of EPR schemes to other product categories (textile and oils), and the improvement of the separate collection of waste (e.g. by clarifying and/or restricting the scope of existing derogations or introducing minimum requirements for source segregation and separate collection of waste).

The WFD revision is a key opportunity to further develop the European circular economy. It is therefore essential that the review contributes to developing a well-functioning EU market for Secondary Raw Materials, including by strengthening the harmonisation and enforcement of EU regulatory requirements on recycling, and by tackling inadequate collection of packaging waste to achieve the EU waste recycling targets.

The WFD review process is supported by several studies led by the Joint Research Centre (JRC) and a consortium of consultancy firms, including, amongst other, Ramboll, Wood, Prognos.

The JRC is leading a study focused on separate waste collection, focusing on bio-waste, paper, glass, metals and plastics.
In parallel, the consortium of consultants’ study to support the impact assessment is focusing on waste prevention, preparation for reuse and recycling. The waste streams covered by this study are waste electrical and electronic equipment, batteries and accumulators, bulky waste, household construction and demolition waste, hazardous household waste, wood packaging and ceramics packaging.
Waste oils and textiles will be addressed in a separate workstream and set of stakeholder workshops.

All these studies, although led in parallel, will feed into the impact assessment of policy options for the revision of the Waste Framework Directive.

WHAT DID YOU MISS?

19 May 2021: The JRC kicked-off a supporting study on separate collection of municipal waste.
25 January – 22 February 2022: The Commission launched a call for evidence on the WFD revision.
March-April 2022: The consortium of consultants supporting the review of the WFD organised a first round of workshops on the problem, definition and objectives of a targeted revision of the WFD, focusing on the preparation for re-use and recycling and waste prevention.

WHAT’S NEXT

April 2022: The Commission is expected to launch a 12-week public consultation on the review of the WFD.
June 2022: The consortium of consultants supporting the review of the WFD will organise a second round of workshops on proposed policy options and impacts, focusing on the preparation for re-use and recycling and waste prevention.
Q4 2022: Publication of the final JRC report on separate waste collection and end of the study.
Q2 2023: Expected publication of the Commission proposal for a review WFD.