On 9th September, the European Parliament during the plenary adopted the final text of the Waste Framework Directive targeted revision. As no additional amendments were submitted by the MEPs, the final text of the WFD is in line with the text approved by the Council back in June (available in the attachment).

The law will now be signed by both co-legislators, ahead of its publication in the EU Official Journal. EU countries will have 20 months following its entry into force to transpose the rules into national legislation.

FESI team is currently analysing the final text and will share with members a detailed overview in the coming days.

MORE DETAILS

As per the text of the WFD, producers that make textiles available in the EU will have to cover the costs of their collection, sorting and recycling, through new producer responsibility (EPR) schemes to be set up by each member state, within 30 months of the directive’s entry into force. These provisions will apply to all producers, including those using e-commerce tools and irrespective of whether they are established in an EU country or outside the Union.

Microenterprises are included in the scope to ensure a level playing field and increased environmental benefits. Significant mitigating measures have been introduced to avoid creating excessive additional administrative burdens for small economic operators. To provide these actors with sufficient preparation time, the text postpones the applicability of the obligations set out in the directive for microenterprises by 12 months after the establishment of extended producer responsibility schemes. Reporting obligations for microenterprises are also simplified.

The fee modulation criteria based on producers' practices, such as ultra-fast fashion and fast fashion, will be established in the Commission implementing acts already planned to define the eco-modulation criteria in accordance with the delegated acts of the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR).

NEXT STEPS

As the vote in the European Parliament was the last step before the adoption, this means that the Waste Framework Directive targeted revision as a next step will be published in the Official Journal of the European Union before entering into force. FESI team will monitor the process and will keep members informed as soon as the directive is published.

Member States will have 20 months to transpose the amending Directive into national laws.