Exchange of views with Commissioner Sinkevičius
On 11 September ENVI members exchanged views with Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius on a series of proposals recently presented by the Commission, namely the first-ever EU legislation on soils, a revision of the Waste Directive, a proposal on circularity requirements for vehicle design, and a proposal on mercury.
The proposal for a Soil Monitoring Law fosters sustainable soil management and remediation of contaminated sites. The ultimate goal is to achieve healthy EU soils by 2050, in line with the EU Zero Pollution ambition. Regarding the Waste Directive, the Commission is proposing rules to make producers responsible for the full lifecycle of textile products. This will accelerate the development of the separate collection, sorting, reuse and recycling sector for textiles in the EU. The proposal also sets new targets for food waste reduction. The Commission's proposed regulation on circularity requirements for vehicle design aims to establish one single regulation improving quality in design, collection, and recycling, while facilitating reporting obligations.
The Commission has also adopted a proposal to revise the Mercury Regulation, which would fully prohibit the use of dental amalgam as well as the manufacture and export of certain products containing mercury, such as lamps.