BETA


2018/2589(RSP) Resolution on implementation of the circular economy package: options to address the interface between chemical, product and waste legislation

Progress: Procedure completed

RoleCommitteeRapporteurShadows
Lead ENVI MANDL Lukas (icon: PPE PPE), SCHALDEMOSE Christel (icon: S&D S&D), DEMESMAEKER Mark (icon: ECR ECR), JÄÄTTEENMÄKI Anneli (icon: ALDE ALDE), BOYLAN Lynn (icon: GUE/NGL GUE/NGL), ŠKRLEC Davor (icon: Verts/ALE Verts/ALE), PEDICINI Piernicola (icon: EFDD EFDD), MÉLIN Joëlle (icon: ENF ENF)
Lead committee dossier:
Legal Basis:
RoP 136-p5

Events

2019/03/11
   Commission response to text adopted in plenary
Documents
2018/09/13
   EP - Results of vote in Parliament
2018/09/13
   EP - Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
Details

The European Parliament adopted by 414 votes to 213 with 8 abstentions a resolution tabled by the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety on implementation of the circular economy package: options to address the interface between chemical, product and waste legislation.

General considerations : stating that it supported the overarching vision put forward by the Commission communication of 16 January 2018, as well as the consultation process, Parliament expected swift action in order to tackle the ‘interface’ problems. The Commission’s primary aims should be to:

prevent hazardous chemicals from entering the material cycle, achieve full consistency between the laws implementing waste and chemicals policies and to ensure better implementation of current legislation; address those regulatory gaps that could act as barriers to a sustainable EU circular economy including, in particular, with respect to imported articles.

Members stressed the need for a strict application of the waste hierarchy and phasing out substances of concern. Regulatory activities to promote the substitution of substances of very high concern and to restrict substances that pose unacceptable risks to human health in the context of REACH should be stepped up. The specific case of SME’s should be taken into account when taking action.

Insufficient information about substances of concern in products and waste : Members underlined that all substances of concern should be tracked as soon as possible, and that information relating to these substances, should be made fully available to all those involved in the supply chain, to recyclers and to the public. The tracking system should also encompass all products imported into the Union that may contain substances of concern, with particular reference to non-registered substances in imported articles. Parliament stressed that deeper collaboration related to imported articles is needed at international level, with actors such as the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), third countries facing similar challenges with imported articles, and exporting countries. It called on the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) to step up its efforts in the context of REACH (compliance check of registration), to ensure that no market access is granted to chemicals with non‑compliant registration dossiers.

Parliament also wanted to ensure that by 2020, all relevant substances of very high concern, including substances that meet the equivalent level of concern criterion, such as endocrine disruptors and sensitisers , are placed on the REACH candidate list, as laid down in the 7th Environmental Action Programme (EAP).

Addressing the presence of substances of concern in recycled materials : Union rules should ensure that recycling of materials does not perpetuate the use of hazardous substances. Parliament was concerned, however, that legislation preventing the presence of chemicals in products , including imports, is scattered, is neither systematic nor consistent and applies only to very few substances, products and uses. It called for a Union strategy for a non-toxic environment with the aim, among other things, of reducing exposure to substances of concern in products. Members made the following points:

recycling materials containing substances of concern should only be envisaged when there are no substitute materials without substances of concern; the issue of products containing legacy substances should be dealt with by means of an efficient registration, tracking and disposal system; since more than 80 % of the environmental impact of a product is determined at the design stage, the Ecodesign Directive and other product‑specific legislation should be used in addition to REACH to introduce requirements to substitute substances of concern; the use of substances of a toxic nature or substances of concern, such as POPs and endocrine disrupters, should be specifically considered under the broadened ecodesign criteria; it is crucial to ensure a level playing field between EU-produced and imported articles.

Uncertainties about how materials can cease to be waste : Members called for clear EU rules specifying the conditions that must be met to exit the waste regime as well as harmonised end-of-waste criteria.

EU waste classification methodologies : Parliament stated that the rules for classifying waste as hazardous or non-hazardous should be consistent with those for the classification of substances and mixtures under the Classification, Labelling and Packaging (CLP) Regulation, taking into account the specifics of waste and the way in which it is handled. It asked for clarification of the correct interpretation of the CLP Regulation to prevent misclassification of waste containing substances of concern.

The classification framework for waste and chemicals should be further developed to include hazard endpoints of high concern , such as high persistence, endocrine disruption, bioaccumulation or neurotoxicity.

Lastly, Parliament considered that the lack of enforcement of EU waste legislation is unacceptable and must be addressed as a matter of priority.

Documents
2018/09/13
   EP - End of procedure in Parliament
2018/09/12
   EP - Motion for a resolution
Documents
2018/09/12
   EP - Debate in Parliament
2018/09/10
   EP - Oral question/interpellation by Parliament
Documents
2018/09/10
   EP - Oral question/interpellation by Parliament
Documents
2018/05/02
   EP - Amendments tabled in committee
Documents
2018/02/14
   EP - MANDL Lukas (PPE) appointed as rapporteur in ENVI
2018/02/14
   EP - SCHALDEMOSE Christel (S&D) appointed as rapporteur in ENVI
2018/02/14
   EP - DEMESMAEKER Mark (ECR) appointed as rapporteur in ENVI
2018/02/14
   EP - JÄÄTTEENMÄKI Anneli (ALDE) appointed as rapporteur in ENVI
2018/02/14
   EP - BOYLAN Lynn (GUE/NGL) appointed as rapporteur in ENVI
2018/02/14
   EP - ŠKRLEC Davor (Verts/ALE) appointed as rapporteur in ENVI
2018/02/14
   EP - PEDICINI Piernicola (EFDD) appointed as rapporteur in ENVI
2018/02/14
   EP - MÉLIN Joëlle (ENF) appointed as rapporteur in ENVI

Documents

  • Commission response to text adopted in plenary: SP(2018)829
  • Results of vote in Parliament: Results of vote in Parliament
  • Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading: T8-0353/2018
  • Motion for a resolution: B8-0363/2018
  • Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
  • Oral question/interpellation by Parliament: B8-0036/2018
  • Oral question/interpellation by Parliament: B8-0037/2018
  • Amendments tabled in committee: PE621.976
  • Amendments tabled in committee: PE621.976
  • Oral question/interpellation by Parliament: B8-0036/2018
  • Oral question/interpellation by Parliament: B8-0037/2018
  • Motion for a resolution: B8-0363/2018
  • Commission response to text adopted in plenary: SP(2018)829
AmendmentsDossier
84 2018/2589(RSP)
2018/05/02 ENVI 84 amendments...
source: 621.976

History

(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)

docs/3/docs/0/url
Old
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=MOTION&reference=B8-2018-0363&language=EN
New
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/B-8-2018-0363_EN.html
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EC
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http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&language=EN&reference=P8-TA-2018-0353
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  • date: 2018-09-12T00:00:00 body: EP type: Debate in plenary scheduled
  • date: 2018-09-13T00:00:00 body: EP type: Vote in plenary scheduled
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  • body: EC dg: Environment commissioner: VELLA Karmenu
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  • date: 2018-05-02T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=COMPARL&mode=XML&language=EN&reference=PE621.976 title: PE621.976 type: Amendments tabled in committee body: EP
  • date: 2018-09-10T00:00:00 docs: title: B8-0036/2018 type: Oral question/interpellation by Parliament body: EP
  • date: 2018-09-10T00:00:00 docs: title: B8-0037/2018 type: Oral question/interpellation by Parliament body: EP
  • date: 2018-09-12T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=MOTION&reference=B8-2018-0363&language=EN title: B8-0363/2018 type: Motion for a resolution body: EP
  • date: 2019-03-11T00:00:00 docs: url: /oeil/spdoc.do?i=31495&j=0&l=en title: SP(2018)829 type: Commission response to text adopted in plenary
events
  • date: 2018-09-12T00:00:00 type: Debate in Parliament body: EP docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?secondRef=TOC&language=EN&reference=20180912&type=CRE title: Debate in Parliament
  • date: 2018-09-13T00:00:00 type: Results of vote in Parliament body: EP docs: url: https://oeil.secure.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/sda.do?id=31495&l=en title: Results of vote in Parliament
  • date: 2018-09-13T00:00:00 type: Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading body: EP docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&language=EN&reference=P8-TA-2018-0353 title: T8-0353/2018 summary: The European Parliament adopted by 414 votes to 213 with 8 abstentions a resolution tabled by the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety on implementation of the circular economy package: options to address the interface between chemical, product and waste legislation. General considerations : stating that it supported the overarching vision put forward by the Commission communication of 16 January 2018, as well as the consultation process, Parliament expected swift action in order to tackle the ‘interface’ problems. The Commission’s primary aims should be to: prevent hazardous chemicals from entering the material cycle, achieve full consistency between the laws implementing waste and chemicals policies and to ensure better implementation of current legislation; address those regulatory gaps that could act as barriers to a sustainable EU circular economy including, in particular, with respect to imported articles. Members stressed the need for a strict application of the waste hierarchy and phasing out substances of concern. Regulatory activities to promote the substitution of substances of very high concern and to restrict substances that pose unacceptable risks to human health in the context of REACH should be stepped up. The specific case of SME’s should be taken into account when taking action. Insufficient information about substances of concern in products and waste : Members underlined that all substances of concern should be tracked as soon as possible, and that information relating to these substances, should be made fully available to all those involved in the supply chain, to recyclers and to the public. The tracking system should also encompass all products imported into the Union that may contain substances of concern, with particular reference to non-registered substances in imported articles. Parliament stressed that deeper collaboration related to imported articles is needed at international level, with actors such as the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), third countries facing similar challenges with imported articles, and exporting countries. It called on the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) to step up its efforts in the context of REACH (compliance check of registration), to ensure that no market access is granted to chemicals with non‑compliant registration dossiers. Parliament also wanted to ensure that by 2020, all relevant substances of very high concern, including substances that meet the equivalent level of concern criterion, such as endocrine disruptors and sensitisers , are placed on the REACH candidate list, as laid down in the 7th Environmental Action Programme (EAP). Addressing the presence of substances of concern in recycled materials : Union rules should ensure that recycling of materials does not perpetuate the use of hazardous substances. Parliament was concerned, however, that legislation preventing the presence of chemicals in products , including imports, is scattered, is neither systematic nor consistent and applies only to very few substances, products and uses. It called for a Union strategy for a non-toxic environment with the aim, among other things, of reducing exposure to substances of concern in products. Members made the following points: recycling materials containing substances of concern should only be envisaged when there are no substitute materials without substances of concern; the issue of products containing legacy substances should be dealt with by means of an efficient registration, tracking and disposal system; since more than 80 % of the environmental impact of a product is determined at the design stage, the Ecodesign Directive and other product‑specific legislation should be used in addition to REACH to introduce requirements to substitute substances of concern; the use of substances of a toxic nature or substances of concern, such as POPs and endocrine disrupters, should be specifically considered under the broadened ecodesign criteria; it is crucial to ensure a level playing field between EU-produced and imported articles. Uncertainties about how materials can cease to be waste : Members called for clear EU rules specifying the conditions that must be met to exit the waste regime as well as harmonised end-of-waste criteria. EU waste classification methodologies : Parliament stated that the rules for classifying waste as hazardous or non-hazardous should be consistent with those for the classification of substances and mixtures under the Classification, Labelling and Packaging (CLP) Regulation, taking into account the specifics of waste and the way in which it is handled. It asked for clarification of the correct interpretation of the CLP Regulation to prevent misclassification of waste containing substances of concern. The classification framework for waste and chemicals should be further developed to include hazard endpoints of high concern , such as high persistence, endocrine disruption, bioaccumulation or neurotoxicity. Lastly, Parliament considered that the lack of enforcement of EU waste legislation is unacceptable and must be addressed as a matter of priority.
  • date: 2018-09-13T00:00:00 type: End of procedure in Parliament body: EP
links
other
  • body: EC dg: url: http://ec.europa.eu/info/departments/environment_en title: Environment commissioner: VELLA Karmenu
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ENVI/8/12287
New
  • ENVI/8/12287
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Rules of Procedure EP 136-p5
procedure/legal_basis/0
Rules of Procedure EP 128-p5
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Old
Awaiting Parliament 1st reading / single reading / budget 1st stage
New
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  • 3.70.12 Waste management, domestic waste, packaging, light industrial waste
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3.70.13
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Old
Options to address the interface between chemical, product and waste legislation
New
Resolution on implementation of the circular economy package: options to address the interface between chemical, product and waste legislation
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  • date: 2018-09-12T00:00:00 body: EP type: Debate in plenary scheduled
  • date: 2018-09-13T00:00:00 body: EP type: Vote in plenary scheduled
committees
  • body: EP responsible: True committee: ENVI date: 2018-02-14T00:00:00 2018-02-14T00:00:00 2018-02-14T00:00:00 2018-02-14T00:00:00 2018-02-14T00:00:00 2018-02-14T00:00:00 2018-02-14T00:00:00 2018-02-14T00:00:00 committee_full: Environment, Public Health and Food Safety rapporteur: group: EPP name: MANDL Lukas group: S&D name: SCHALDEMOSE Christel group: ECR name: DEMESMAEKER Mark group: ALDE name: JÄÄTTEENMÄKI Anneli group: GUE/NGL name: BOYLAN Lynn group: Verts/ALE name: ŠKRLEC Davor group: EFD name: PEDICINI Piernicola group: ENF name: MÉLIN Joëlle
links
other
  • body: EC dg: url: http://ec.europa.eu/info/departments/environment_en title: Environment commissioner: VELLA Karmenu
procedure
dossier_of_the_committee
ENVI/8/12287
reference
2018/2589(RSP)
title
Options to address the interface between chemical, product and waste legislation
legal_basis
Rules of Procedure EP 128-p5
stage_reached
Awaiting Parliament 1st reading / single reading / budget 1st stage
subtype
Debate or resolution on oral question/interpellation
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RSP - Resolutions on topical subjects
subject