Activities of Mark DEMESMAEKER related to 2014/2208(INI)
Plenary speeches (2)
Resource efficiency: moving towards a circular economy (debate) NL
Resource efficiency: moving towards a circular economy (debate) NL
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on resource efficiency: moving towards a circular economy PDF (230 KB) DOC (174 KB)
Amendments (25)
Amendment 30 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas Europe is more dependent on imported resources than any other region in the world and its competitiveness can be increased only by getting more added value out of resources in the economywhereas many resources will be exhausted in the relatively short term; whereas getting more added value out of resources in the economy could significantly boost the EU’s competitiveness, in particular by effectively unlocking strategic reserves of resources and by developing an attractive European market for recycled and reusable materials;
Amendment 48 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas the switch to a circular economy is essentially a matter of economics, concerning access to or sustainable availability of raw materials, the re-industrialisation and further digitalisation of Europe, the creation of new jobs and the challenges of climate, energy and scarce resources; whereas investing in a circular economy can therefore be fully compatible with the Commission’s jobs, growth and competitiveness agenda and has the potential to create a win-win situation for all stakeholders involved;
Amendment 54 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B b (new)
Recital B b (new)
Bb. whereas a properly functioning circular economy needs competitive businesses, and whereas businesses are themselves driving forces in the switch to a circular economy;
Amendment 59 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B c (new)
Recital B c (new)
Bc. whereas the EU has an open economy which operates in a global, competitive market, and whereas this must be taken into account when further refining the circular economy model, having regard to a proper balance between local and global growth and employment;
Amendment 60 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B d (new)
Recital B d (new)
Bd. whereas the principles of smart regulation and better lawmaking, mainstreaming with other areas of policy, reducing administrative burdens and the importance of well-founded scientific data as the basis for well-considered policy are important starting points;
Amendment 61 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B e (new)
Recital B e (new)
Be. whereas the Eurostat data on the processing of urban waste in the EU 28 clearly show that there is still no level playing field in waste policy and that the implementation and enforcement of existing legislation presents significant challenges;
Amendment 62 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B f (new)
Recital B f (new)
Bf. whereas both in the EU (at national, regional and local level) and in the rest of the world a large number of pioneers in the circular economy are already active and whereas there are lessons to be learnt from a number of best practices; whereas, however, more action is needed to maintain Europe’s leading position and optimisation alone is insufficient;
Amendment 75 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Emphasises that resource scarcity requires an absolute decoupling of growth from the use of natural resources ‒ a systemic change which requires backcasting the actions needed from a 2050 sustainability perspective; stresses that this paradigm shift requires waste to be regarded as a material and that a variety of instruments are needed at various policy levels, taking account of subsidiarity;
Amendment 104 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Stresses that legal certainty and long- term predictability, together with a facilitating legal framework which offers every opportunity to innovation, industrial symbiosis and new business models, are needed to channel investments towards a sustainable economy;
Amendment 138 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Urges the Commission to develop and introduce by 2019 a lead indicator and a number of sub-indicators on resource efficiency, including ecosystem services; these binding indicators should measure resource consumption, including imports and exports, at EU, Member State and industry level and take account of the whole lifecycle of products and services;
Amendment 157 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Stresses the importance of scientifically founded data as the basis for a considered and effective policy; recognises the complexity of the work surrounding indicators and the various perceptions that exist about them; stresses that obtaining clear, comparable data, implementability and the reduction of administrative burdens must be at the forefront of this debate;
Amendment 168 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Urges the Commission to set a binding target to increase resource efficiency at EU level by 30 % by 2030 and individual targets for each Member State; calls on the Commission to carry out an impact assessment in this connection, and stresses the importance for the Member States of having sufficient flexibility to select the most cost-effective measures themselves;
Amendment 176 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Stresses the need for good materials management and the importance of indicators giving an insight into how raw materials can be better managed; in addition to indicators showing how the EU deals with raw materials and resources, it is also important to develop an indicator showing clearly which raw materials are running out and how this is happening;
Amendment 177 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Paragraph 7 b (new)
7b. stresses the need to formulate targets for the collection and recycling of specific critical metals in the light of their growing scarcity and with a view to reducing dependency;
Amendment 190 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. PStresses the importance of a well- thought-out product policy; points out that the amount of resources used by a product over its lifetime is largely determined during the design phase, and that combining knowledge on design with knowledge on materials policy may facilitate simpler and more cost-effective repairability, reuse and recycling, which benefits competitiveness;
Amendment 201 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Urges the Commission to propose a review of the Ecodesign Directive by the end of 2016, supported by an impact assessment, incorporating the following important changes: broadening the scope to cover all main product lines; gradually including all relevant resource-efficiency features in the mandatory requirements for product design; introducing a mandatory product passport based on these requirements; implementing self- monitoring and third-party auditing to ensure that products comply with these standards; and defining horizontal requirements on, inter alia, repairability, reusability and recyclability;
Amendment 263 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Urges the Commission to submit the announced proposal on the review of waste legislation by the end of 2015 and to include the following points: clear and unambiguous definitions, setting extended binding minimum producer responsibility requirements and clarity concerning the role of the various operators involved; endorsing the ‘pay-as-you- throw-principle’ prioritising separate collection schemes in order to facilitate the development of business based on the reuse of secondary raw materials; increasing recycling targets to be at least 70 % of municipal solid waste, based on the output of recycling facilitiesy 1 January 2030, coupled with country- specific assistance for implementation (e.g. by twinning projects), using the same harmonised method for call Member States with externally verified statisticculating the recycling percentage for all Member States; introducing a ban on landfilling recyclable and biodegradable waste by 2025 and a ban on all landfilling by 2030; introducing fees on landfilling and incineration, which must form part of an integrated policy, thus encouraging a shift to recycling and reuse; compulsory selective collection of organic waste by 2025;
Amendment 287 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14a. Stresses the importance and added value of European waste policy targets, not only in terms of legal certainty, predictability and the creation of a level playing field in the internal market, but also in terms of ensuring that the living environment of all EU citizens is protected and improved;
Amendment 293 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 b (new)
Paragraph 14 b (new)
14b. Calls on the Commission to carefully consider a specific regulatory framework with strict conditions for the temporary storage of end-of-life products, and components or by-products thereof, which cannot yet be recycled in an economically responsible way, with a view to improving recycling and the retrieval of materials;
Amendment 297 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 c (new)
Paragraph 14 c (new)
14c. Urges the Commission to examine how market demand for high-quality recycled material can be facilitated and improved;
Amendment 312 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Calls on the Commission to propose a regulatory framework for urban mining in existing landfills and to develop an environmental permit system for the recycling industry based on self- monitoras a matter of urgency to investigate further the feasibility of the concept of enhanced landfill mining (also in connection with the review of the Landfill Directive) to permit the retrieval of secondary raw materials that are present in existing land external auditingfill sites;
Amendment 323 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15a. Calls on the Commission, together with the Member States, to step up its efforts to counteract the illegal export of post-consumer waste;
Amendment 348 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Calls on the Commission to propose the full implementation of the circular economy principles and requirements in the building sector and to further develop the policy framework on resource efficiency in buildings; this includes developing indicators, standards and methods as regards land use and urban planning, architecture, structural engineeringstresses the importance of a holistic vision with clear objectives for the medium and long term; this involves on the one hand developing a policy framework that includes time as the fourth dimension in the design, construction, maintenance, adaptability, energy efficiency, renovation and reuse and recycling; targets and indicators on sustainable buildings should also include green infrastructure, such as green roofsnd reuse of buildings, and on the other hand introducing the collection of cradle-to- grave (building product) data and developing an LCA-based method to map out in a holistic manner the environmental impact of the built environment and subsequently further reduce this impact by means of eco- design;
Amendment 434 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Calls on the Commission to establish a permanent resource-efficiency platform on which all political groups in the European Parliament are represented to encourage and facilitate the application of the latest research findings, the exchange of best practices and the emergence of new industrial synthesis and industrial ecosystems;
Amendment 441 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Calls on the Commission to establish a cross-sectorial, inter-DG sustainable financing working group in order to include the resource-efficiency indicators in company-level integrated reporting and accounting; further calls on the Commission to examine how to incorporateand carry out an impact assessment on the introduction of resource- efficiency and related environmental risks in, inter alia, credit ratings and capital requirements of banks, to develop a comprehensive insurance system for environmental hazards and to set out information requirements for investment products; stresses that this must conform with the better regulation agenda and in particular with the reduction of administrative burdens; calls on the Commission to study existing voluntary initiatives in the Member States with a view to a possible exchange of best practice;