Environmental Omnibus Council adopts position and ENVI drafts EPR simplification reports

The negotiation mandate constitutes the Council’s position for the upcoming trialogues with the Parliament and the Commission.

In its position, the Council deleted the Commission’s initial proposal to harmonise the maximum reporting frequency for EPR data to 12 months.

Moreover, the Council decided not to proceed with the proposed suspension of the obligation to appoint an Authorised Representative (AR) under EPR, as it was opposed by a large majority of Member States.

In parallel, Parliament is also advancing work on the Environmental Omnibus files.

On reporting frequencies, rapporteur Solis Pérez published her draft report, complementing the Commission proposal by introducing a centralised digital reporting mechanism to be developed under the Circular Economy Act.

On AR, rapporteur Ingeborg ter Laak proposed limiting the suspension to micro and small enterprises under Recommendation 2003/361/EC (fewer than 50 employees and turnover not exceeding €10 million), with a sunset clause tied to the entry into force of the Circular Economy Act or to 1 January 2035, whichever comes first.

In addition, the draft report deletes the provision that would allow Member States to require an AR for producers based in third countries.

Landbell Group company, European Recycling Platform (ERP) set out its concerns regarding the proposed suspension in a discussion paper, arguing that adjustments to the AR framework should instead be addressed comprehensively under the forthcoming Circular Economy Act.

Both texts are draft reports of the ENVI committee and do not yet represent Parliament’s final position. The deadline for amendments passed at the beginning of July, with further negotiations between the political groups still to come.

Votes are planned for October (AR) and November (reporting frequency).

As reported in June’s Compass, a broad industry coalition – including Landbell Group company, European Recycling Platform – is calling for the proposal’s rejection.

Their joint statement flags unreliable and methodologically inconsistent collection data, the conflation of uncollected with improperly disposed waste, and an inherent design flaw: if collection improves, revenues shrink, making the levy either fiscally unreliable or environmentally ineffective.

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