EPR guidelines delayed

The work on the guidelines for the implementation of the minimum requirements for extended producer responsibility (EPR) schemes has been put on hold – as Landbell Group company, European Recycling Platform (ERP) was recently told by a representative of the European Commission.

In view of more urgent tasks such as the implementation of the Green Deal and the “Fit for 55” package, the European Commission currently does not have the capacity to devote the necessary attention to the EPR guidelines. It is not clear when the work can be continued and when the guidelines will be published.

The guidelines are intended to support the Member States with their implementation of the minimum criteria on EPR schemes referred to in the Directive’s Article 8a.

Besides supporting the member states, the guidelines also aim to harmonize related design requirements like the criteria and mechanism for the modulation of financial contributions.

Other aspects covered in the planned guidance are combatting freeriding with a focus on online sales, assuring equal treatment of producers, and reaching the right necessary cost level for EPR services.

ERP is engaging in this important topic by providing input from related research studies: for example, the study that it commissioned from Adelphi (read study here).