NEWSLETTER N° 206 – 17 FEBRUARY 2025

Love is in the air… and so are policy challenges! ❤️

While the EU sets its sights on legislative priorities for 2024, a less romantic surprise has landed on our doorstep: Donald Trump’s 25% tariffs on aluminum and steel imports, affecting Europe along with the rest of the world. … 

European Commission work programme: On 11 February, the Commission published its Work Programme and its annexes. 

State aid: On 7 February, the European Commission launched a consultation on its draft amendments to the State aid Implementing Regulation (EC) No794/2004 (‘draft Implementing Regulation’) and to the State aid Best Practices Code (‘amended BPC’) with respect to new rules on access to justice following the Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee’s findings in case ACCC/C/2015/128. 

Risk management of dangerous chemical substances by the European Commission – Commission opinion: On 06 February, the Commission published its opinion to the European Ombudsman’s conclusion on the institutions management of applications for authorisation of dangerous chemical substances. 

February Infringement Procedures: On 12 February, the Commission published the key decisions it took against Member States for failing to comply with their obligations under EU law. 

Circularity requirements for vehicle design and management of end-of-life vehicles – Parliament Briefing: On 12 February, the European Parliament Think Tank published a briefing on the Circularity requirements for vehicle design and management of end-of-life vehicles. 

End-of-life vehicles (ELV) – FEAD Position Paper: On 14 February, FEAD, in cooperation with EuRIC, T&E, PRE, ECOS and EEB, published a position paper on the European Parliament’s draft report on the End-of-Life Vehicles (ELV) Regulation, currently under discussion, which raises serious concerns about its impact on circularity in the automotive sector. The overall ambition of the draft report has been significantly weakened compared to the Commission’s proposal, with key rollbacks including a reduction in the recycled plastic content target from 25% to 20% and a decrease in the closed-loop target from 25% to 15%, threatening to slow progress toward a truly circular automotive sector. Read the position paper here. 

Lithium waste batteries – Industry guide: FEAD in cooperation with BMRA, EERA, EBRA, EUCOBAT, EuRIC, Insurance Europe, RECHARGE, WEEE Forum, have published an industry guide on the collecting, handling and treating waste lithium batteries. This work builds on studies and research carried out in 2019 and 2020 by the industry and the Batteries Roundtable about the growing issue of fires associated with waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE/ewaste) that contain lithium batteries, to present measures to address the problem.

Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs): The European Union has missed the deadline (supposed to be nine months before COP30, so 10 February) to submit EU Member States’ NDCs. 

Titanium dioxide: On 6 February, the Advocate General Capeta recommended in its opinion on Joined Cases C‑71/23 P and C‑82/23 P that the Court of Justice of the EU set aside its November 2022 decision which rendered the classification of titanium dioxide as a carcinogen invalid. 

Plastic straws – USA: On 7 February, Donald Trump, the President of the United States (USA), announced on X the ‘return to plastic’ concerning straws. Three days later, he signed an order that the federal government stop buying paper straws and guarantee their removal from federal buildings because ‘they do not work’. 

2040 Target – WWF report: On 12 February, the NGO WWF published a report titled ‘The 2040 Horizon’ which assesses the EU’s projected outcomes for a 2040 climate target, as outlined in the European Commission’s impact assessment, with scenarios that are compatible with limiting global warming to 1.5°C. 

Exchange of Views with Commissioner Hoekstra: On 6 February 2025, the FISC Subcommittee on Tax Matters, hosted Wopke Hoekstra (the Commissioner for Taxation), for a discussion on key priorities in the taxation area. 

FEAD News: On 11 February, FEAD, ACR+ and Hazardous Waste Europe, organised a webinar on Household Hazardous Waste.
FEAD is participating to the organisation of an event:  

• The GRINNER Project and Batteries Roundtable Members (WEEE Forum, EuRIC, FEAD, EUCOBAT, Municipal Waste Europe, WEEELABEX) are organising a roundtable on ‘The challenges of lithium battery fires in the management of e-waste’ on 18 February in Brussels. More information here.