Who needs telenovelas when you’ve got the EU bubble? Last week’s vote on the motion for a resolution in the ENVI Committee had all the unexpected drama and intrigue of the best of them with the objection passing through with 26 votes to 24.
At FEAD, we’ve been busy hosting our Hybrid Workshop on ‘Circular Value Chain Partnerships’ and our first General Assembly of the year.
Chemical Recycling: On 18 April, the ENVI Committee voted in favour of MEP Jutta Paulus’ (Greens, Germany) motion for resolution to object to the European Commission’s draft Implementing Decision on the mass balance approach under the SUPD.
FEAD, in collaboration with ALPLA, Ecopreneur, and Wener and Metz, published a press released on 18 April where we stated that we ‘welcome and support this decision, as it marks a crucial step in the right direction. However, this decision still needs to be confirmed during the plenary session next week, where MEPs will vote on the objection’.
On 17 April, we also co-published a position paper with the aforementioned business associations and companies as well as Ecos, EuRIC, EEB, Rethink Plastic and Zero Waste Europe, where we stressed that ‘the Commission’s draft in its current form would create an unlevel playing field between recycling technologies, keep consumers from taking sustainable purchasing decisions due to structural greenwashing and therefore contradict the objective of the SUPD to promote the transition to a circular economy’.
PFAS ban: On 15 April, the German Federal Federal Institute of Occupational Safety and Health specified what the update on the restriction proposal, considering the feedback received from the public consultation, will entail.
EU Court of Justice clarifies REACH: On 11 April, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) delivered a judgement where it clarifies when a buyer of more than one tonne per year of a substance imported into the European Union and falling within the scope of REACH, is not itself required to submit the registration for that substance.
Microplastics in the Environment: On 16 April, the EPP tabled an amendment on the burden of proof in regards to citizens seeking compensation. A debate on this issue will take place during the plenary session of 22 April before the vote the next day.
EU Indicator framework for chemicals report: On 17 April, the European Environment Agency (EEA) and the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) published a joint report on the impact of chemicals pollution and the effectiveness of chemicals legislation.
Industrial Emissions Directive (IED): On 12 April, during the Economic and Financial Affairs Council, the IED agreement was approved by Member States.
REMIT Regulation: On 17 April, the REMIT Regulation was published in the European Union’s Official Journal. It will enter into force on 7 May.
Renewable Hydrogen Energy Coalition Manifesto: On 17 April, the Coalition for Renewable Hydrogen published its manifesto.
Energy-Intensive Industries: On 16 April, during a conference, the former Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi deplored the lack of a European strategy ‘to protect our traditional industries from an uneven global playing field caused by asymmetries in regulations, subsidies and trade policies’.
Sustainable Resource Management: On 16 April, a hundred organisations published an open letter to the European Commission as well as to the Belgian Presidency and the Presidents of the European Council, calling for a Directive on sustainable resource management.
European Commission Life calls for proposals: On 18 April, the European Commission announced that 571 millions euros would be allocated to fund the LIFE programme.
Special meeting of the European Council conclusions: On 18 April, the conclusions of the Special meeting of the European Council were published.
Green Deal Implementation Act: In a LinkedIn post on 15 April, Thierry Breton, the European Commissioner for the Internal Market, put forward the idea of a ‘Green Deal Implementation Act’ that would streamline the ‘myriad of application texts’ and supplement the adopted legislation.
ClientEarth Manifesto: On 18 April, ClientEarth published its manifesto ahead of the 2024 elections.
2024 European Elections – PS-Place Publique alliance: Raphaël Glucksmann, the leader of the political group, advocated for a ‘European ecological power’ during the official launch of his campaign in Nantes.
2024 European Elections – European Commission: As In an interview with Euractiv, Teresa Ribera, the Spanish Minister for Ecological Transition stated that she has ‘never ruled out’ a job at the European Commission.
FEAD News: This week, FEAD hosted our Hybrid Workshop on ‘Circular Value Chain Partnerships’. We also held our first General Assembly of the year.
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