UEIL GEIR Newsletter March 2018

08/03/2018

In January 2018, the European Commission published a Communication on the interface between chemical, product and waste legislation as part of the implementation of the Circular Economy package. The Communication explores the four most critical issues identified in the way the legislation on chemicals, products and waste work together and how these are hampering the development of the circular economy.

These four most critical issues are: information on the presence of substances of concern is not readily available to those who handle waste and prepare it for recovery; waste may contain substances that are no longer allowed in new products; the EU’s rules on end-of-waste are not fully harmonised, making it uncertain how waste becomes a new material and product; rules to decide which wastes and chemicals are hazardous are not well aligned, and this affects the uptake of secondary raw materials.

GEIR has been following this topic and will continue to be involved regarding any discussions on the sameness of the regenerated base oils with base oil made from virgin materials, as well as ensure that access to crucial information such as safety data sheets remain accessible to members.

Finally, as the revised Waste Framework Directive is being officially adopted, the European Commission will start to work on the reporting requirements for Member States to collect and deliver data about the collection and regeneration of waste oils. In addition, input from stakeholders and trade associations like UEIL/GEIR will be valuable in the process, and we will work with our members towards that goal. The aim is to have a robust assessment of the feasibility for setting regeneration targets at the EU level by the end of 2022.