Environment Council, 25 March 2024

Main results

Waste framework directive

EU environment ministers held a policy debate on the Commission’s proposal to revise the waste framework directive, focusing on the textile and food sectors. The overall aim of the discussion was to provide further guidance to the ongoing technical work on the proposed amendments.

Every year, millions of tonnes of food and textiles are disposed of as waste in the EU, with a huge negative impact on our environment. These are alarming figures and the proposal we debated today aims to put a firm stop to this trend and to boost circular economy. We had a fruitful discussion to further guide the important work being done on the targeted revision of the waste framework directive. I am positive we will come to a balanced agreement in the coming months.

Alain Maron, Minister for Climate Transition, Environment, Energy and Participatory Democracy of the Government of the Brussels-Capital Region

The proposal aims to reduce the environmental and climate impacts associated with textile and food waste generation and management. On textiles, it introduces mandatory and harmonised extended producer responsibility (EPR) schemes across the EU, so that producers will cover the costs of textile waste management. The proposed rules also aim to ensure that used textiles are sorted for reuse, and what cannot be reused is recycled, in line with the ‘waste hierarchy’.

The proposal also sets legally binding food waste reduction targets for member states, to be achieved by 2030 to contribute to the EU’s commitments under the sustainable development goals (SDGs). Additionally, the amended directive requires member states to review and adapt their national food waste prevention programmes with a view to attaining those targets.

Among other things, ministers discussed the level of ambition of the 2030 food waste reduction objectives and the effectiveness of the extended responsibility of textile producers to counter the environmental impact of textile waste.

• Presidency background paper
• Watch the public session
• Proposal for a targeted revision of the Waste Framework Directive (European Commission)
• Reducing food loss and food waste (background information)
• Circular economy (background information)

Reducing microplastic pollution

Ministers also had a policy debate on the Commission’s proposal on preventing plastic pellet losses to the environment. The proposed regulation aims to further reduce microplastic pollution, specifically tackling the unintentional release of microplastics from the handling of plastic pellets.

The proposal establishes a general obligation for operators and EU and non-EU carriers to prevent plastic pellet losses and includes best handling practices for operators, a mandatory certification system and a harmonised methodology to estimate losses.

Ministers welcomed the proposal and agreed with the importance of having EU-level legislation focused on reducing microplastic pollution. They focused on whether they consider the provisions to be adequate and evaluating the proposed regulation in regard to the responsibility allocated to different public and private actors. They assessed the need to include measures related to maritime transport, which is not covered by the proposal put forward by the Commission.

• Presidency background paper
• Watch the public session
• Proposal for a regulation on preventing plastic pellet losses to reduce microplastic pollution (European Commission)
• Zero pollution action plan (European Commission)

2040 climate target

EU environment ministers exchanged views on the recent Commission communication on the EU 2040 climate target. The aim of the communication is to launch a political debate and inform the preparation of the post-2030 European climate policy framework.

To this end, the communication sets out a vision to achieve Europe’s objective of climate neutrality by 2050, which includes a 2040 intermediary target, as set out by the EU climate law. The Commission recommended a net reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 90% by 2040 relative to 1990.

In particular, ministers welcomed the communication and stressed the need for an ambitious target that would at the same time ensure a just transition and competitive sustainability. They discussed how the EU should pursue the transition towards climate neutrality and what the important enabling conditions would be for a post-2030 framework. They also exchanged views on which sectors have the greatest potential to contribute to the transition.

• Presidency background paper
• Watch the public session
• Communication on the EU 2040 climate target (European Commission)
• Climate change: what the EU is doing (background information)
• Climate neutrality (background information)

A items and other business

At the beginning of the meeting, EU environment ministers formally adopted the revision of the regulation on shipments of waste as a legislative ‘A item’.

• Waste shipments: Council signs off on more efficient, updated rules (press release, 25 March 2024)

Over lunch, ministers were joined by Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra and KU Leuven Prof. Patrick Willems to discuss water resilience. The informal discussion revolved around the transboundary impacts of climate change on water resilience across Europe and the need for the EU to provide further financial and regulatory support.

Under ‘other business’, the Presidency informed ministers about the ongoing progress on the regulation on an EU forest monitoring framework and on the regulation on nature restoration. 

• Current legislative proposals: forest monitoring framework (information note)
• Nature restoration: Council and Parliament reach agreement on new rules to restore and preserve degraded habitats in the EU (press release, 9 November 2023)

The Commission presented its mid-term evaluation of the eighth environment action programme (EAP) and its communication on managing climate risks in Europe. It also informed ministers on the state of play of the national energy and climate plans (NECPs).

• 8th EAP mid-term review (European Commission)
• Commission’s communication on managing climate risks
• State of play of member states progress towards 2030 climate objectives (information note)

The presidency reported on high-level events it has organised and, together with the Commission, reported on the main recent international meetings, including:

• the 14th meeting of the conference of the parties to the convention on the conservation of migratory species of wild animals (COP 14) in Samarkand, Uzbekistan (12–17 February 2024), and
• the sixth session of the UN environment assembly (UNEA-6) in Nairobi, Kenya (26 February – 1 March 2024) 

• Report on high-level events organised by the presidency (information note)
• Outcome of COP 14 (information note)
• UNEA-6 (information note)

The Commission also informed ministers about the ratification of various multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs).

• Ratification of Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) – information note

Ministers heard from Czechia and Slovakia on the ‘Karlovy Vary Annual Policy Dialogue Statement’ and the need to strengthen the just transition in the regions most affected by decarbonisation.

• Strengthening just transition (information note)

Austria informed ministers on the importance of small farmers and farmers networks for a sustainable EU seed regulation, in the context of the ongoing work on the EU plant reproductive material regulation.

• Austria’s AOB on the EU seed regulation (information note)

The Romanian, Slovak and Finnish delegations debriefed ministers on reassessing the conservation status of brown bears across Europe.

• Reassessing the conservation status of brown bear populations across Europe (information note)

Ministers also heard from France, Denmark and Sweden on a proposal for stricter control on exports of textile waste to developing countries, in the context of the 17th meeting of the conference of the parties to the Basel Convention (COP17).

• Stricter controls on exports of textile waste to developing countries (information note)

Lithuania, supported by Czechia, Estonia and Latvia, presented a call for actions to stop waste imports from Russia into the EU.