אויסגעדרייט #וואַסטע אין מיטל אַ הויפּט געלעגנהייט פֿאַר European אינדוסטריע

"Competitiveness and sustainable growth are two sides of the same coin", said Karl-Heinz Florenz MEP, the EPP Group Spokesman on the Waste Package. "Decoupling growth and waste and turning waste into a new resource is a major opportunity for European society and industry. A lot of work lies ahead of us but with the proven political will of today, I am confident that we are on the right track."

Florenz highlighted that Europe is a resource-scarce continent: “We have to stop burying our resources that are desperately needed by our grandchildren.”

The EPP Group fully supports the aim of the Waste Package which is to reduce waste and improve recycling as part of the EU Circular Economy Plan. The Group wants to set simplified and harmonised calculation methods for recycling rates throughout the EU. For any of the binding targets to be comparable, all countries have to use the same way of counting. This goes hand in hand with our call for clear definitions.

The EPP Group believes that the targets for recycling have to be seen in conjunction with the methodology. As we have a clearer, but also more ambitious methodology, the targets of the European Commission proposal should not be raised. The member states with low recycling targets must increase their efforts, but at the same time we acknowledge they need more time.

Producers play an important role in the Circular Economy as they spur innovation. When it comes to their responsibility for the waste phase of the product, their role must be clear and we must ensure that the costs they face are definite.

Instead of considering waste as a problem, to be buried in landfill or burned in incinerators, we want to recognise its value as secondary raw material and bring its value back into the life cycle. We want new businesses and innovations to grow from the Circular Economy Plan.

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