Politics

BusinessEurope, European Builders Confederation, European DIGITAL SME Alliance, FEAD, European Construction Industry Federation and SMEunited have submitted a joint statement to the European Commission as part of the ongoing revision of the European Union Public Procurement Directives.

Weibold welcomes the latest development within the ISCC EU framework that recognizes the fossil fraction of end-of-life tires (ELTs) as a potential feedstock for Recycled Carbon Fuels (RCF).

Artificial intelligence and digital technologies could support Europe’s environmental objectives if policymakers align them with sustainability goals. This is the conclusion of two new briefings published by the European Environment Agency (EEA).

The European Commission has proposed a limited amendment to the Waste Shipment Regulation to allow continued exports of mixed municipal waste for recovery to Switzerland. The proposal was published on 29 April.

A new study by nova-Institute for the European Commission concludes that bio-based plastics can support the defossilisation of the European packaging sector and that no fundamental technical barriers currently prevent their use in packaging applications.

European waste management organisations and local authorities call for stronger support and investment to implement mandatory systems for the separate collection of household hazardous waste.

ESWET has welcomed the European Commission’s AccelerateEU Plan as a response to energy price volatility and Europe’s continued dependence on fossil fuel imports. The association points in particular to the plan’s focus on district heating, waste heat recovery and domestic clean energy generation, arguing that Waste-to-Energy can contribute across all three areas.

Turning Europe’s circular economy ambitions into reality will depend on making it people-focused — in particular — making sure European Union rules in place work to make it a success for entrepreneurs, business owners, citizens and workers alike, according to two assessments published by the European Environment Agency (EEA).

The European Union has reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 40% compared with 1990 levels. Between 2023 and 2024, emissions declined by a further 3%, according to data submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and analysed by the European Environment Agency. The greenhouse gas inventory was compiled and reported by the agency on behalf of the EU in April.

The European Commission has published its first report under the Single-Use Plastics Directive (SUPD), based on data from Member States for 2022. The report provides a baseline for assessing progress towards binding SUP collection targets for 2025 and 2030, as well as reductions in the consumption of certain single-use plastic products and the management of fishing gear containing plastic.

Including waste incineration in the EU Emissions Trading System is unlikely to increase landfill volumes in Europe. This is the conclusion of a report by Zero Waste Europe, which analyses the potential EU ETS incineration landfill risk under current regulatory and market conditions.