Already September is over and the work has started with full speed again. During the summer we already began to study the proposed amendments by the ITRE Committee of the European Parliament which, together with the amendments tabled by the ENVI Committee now are over 2000.
Obviously this is a challenge also for the MEPS, their advisors and assistants as the voting in the ENVI Committee has been postponed from November to January 2017.
The forthcoming discussions in Parliament and Council about the new waste legislation of course will continue to be a priority for all major stakeholders in the forthcoming challenging months and possibly years. Based on the vast experience and expertise of its members, EXPRA will continue to provide relevant information to stakeholders on technical matters related to packaging waste management like for example, the measurement point of recycling.
Still, alongside with the CEP, a major event for all waste management professionals was the ISWA 2016 World Congress that took place in Novi Sad, Serbia from 19 to 21 September. EXPRA played an important role during the Congress: chairing Sessions on Good Governance and on EPR, delivering presentations during the Deposit Session and the Session on Communication and Behavioural change.
During the Session on EPR, the updated OECD Guidance on Extended Producer Responsibility for Efficient Waste Management was officially launched. This report updates the 2001 Guidance Manual for Governments on Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), and looks at some of the new design and implementation challenges and opportunities of EPR policies, takes into account recent efforts undertaken by governments to better assess the cost and environmental effectiveness of EPR and its overall impact on the market, and addresses some of the specific issues in emerging market economies.
For the first time as part of the formal program of the ISWA Congress, Sessions on Informal Sector were included where also EXPRA had a major role. As the informal valuable waste collection is rapidly developing in Europe and has a major impact on the waste management sector, EXPRA EPR Working group has developed a position paper and a project for estimating the impact of the informal sector activities on the EPR systems.
Wishing a good start into the busy autumn season,
Enjoy your reading!