NEWSLETTER N° 203 – 27 JANUARY 2025

From the Competitive Compass to the Clean Industrial Deal and the Omnibus Regulation, expect the next few weeks to be text heavy as the EU Bubble waits for the Commission’s upcoming legislations! 

Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR): On 22 January, the PPWR was published in the Official Journal of the EU. It will enter into force on 11 February 2025, 20 days after it was published. 

New European Association on food and beverage cartons: On 22 January, the Food and Beverage Carton Alliance (FBCA), an association born of the merging of The Alliance for beverage Cartons and the Environment) and EXTR:ACT, announced its launch.

Group of experts on Ecodesign for Sustainable Products and Energy Labelling (the Ecodesign Forum): On 22 January, the Ecodesign Forum was announced. The Forum assists the Commission in the conduct of its activities under Regulation (EU) 2024/1781 and Regulation (EU) 2017/1369. FEAD is one of the experts selected.

68 Proposals for the reduction of regulatory burden in 2025 – BusinessEurope: On 22 January, BusinessEurope released the final version of the package of regulatory burden mapping and suggestions on burden reduction.

Omnibus Regulation: In a joint letter, dated 17 January, Unilever, DP World, Mars, Ferrero, Primark and a handful of other companies are asking the Commission to ‘publicly clarify that this omnibus approach, if embarked upon, will not allow already agreed and adopted legal texts to be reopened for renegotiation’. 

Omnibus Regulation – Economic and Financial Affairs Council: On 21 January, during the Economic and Financial Affairs Council, Andrzej Domański, Minister of Finance of Poland and Valdis Dombrovskis, European Commissioner for Economy and Productivity, and European Commissioner for Implementation and Simplification gave a joint press conference where they discussed the Omnibus Regulation.

EPP Leader’s Retreat: Following the EPP’s Leader’s Retreat, a document was adopted on ‘Enhancing competitiveness by cutting back bureaucracy and over-regulation’. 

NGOs letter to the President of the Commission – PFAS: On 22 January, nearly 100 NGOs (such as the EEB, ECOS, HEAL and WWF) published a letter destined to the President of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen asking to ‘end the worst pollution crisis in human history’. This is to ban PFAS.

ECHA – Candidate List of substances of very high concern (SVHC): On 21 January, ECHA added fived hazardous chemicals to the Candidate List of SVHC. 

Recycling processes for PET bottles: On 23 January, RecyClass, a non-profit that develops Recyclability Evaluation Protocols for plastic packaging material, announced that Eastman has received RecyClass Recyclability Approvals for eight copolyester resins and their equivalent Renew grades, containing recycled content. 

World Economic Forum – Commission President speech: On 21 January, Ursula von der Leyen gave a special address at the World Economic Forum during which she stated the European Union’s plan to foster competitivity. 

Polish Presidency on President Trump: In addition to withdrawing the Paris agreement, Donald Trump has also decided to freeze all funding for the US Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) which funded carbon capture, clean hydrogen, electric vehicles and more. For Polish Secretary of State, Krzysztof Bolesta, these acts are an opening for the EU to return to the clean technology race. 

FEAD News: FEAD is participating to the organisation of a series of events in February: 

• PFAS in Waste: a webinar about Current Challenges and Future European Initiatives in collaboration with Mérieux Nutrisciences on 6 February. More information here.
• Hazards Out | Workshop 1 on 11 February from 2pm to 3.30pm. More information here. 
• 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.