Answer given by Ms Roswall on behalf of the European Commission
19.5.2025
1. The Taxonomy Regulation[1] is a classification framework for the purpose of encouraging investments in environmentally sustainable activities and does not introduce mandatory labelling requirements for consumer products. Hence, it is not a suitable instrument to introduce harmonised labelling rules for fibreglass or other products, and the Commission has currently no plans to harmonise labelling rules for fibreglass or other products in line with that regulation.
2. The Circular Economy Action Plan[2] does not include any specific incentives for fibreglass recovery. Although this activity is not directly addressed, EU waste policy and legislation requires that waste prevention, preparing for re-use, recycling and other recovery are prioritised over disposal[3]. This includes obligations to ensure sound waste management and achieve targets to stimulate recycling and reduce landfilling, e.g. Member State shall reduce landfilling of municipal waste to 10% by 2035[4].
3. As stated in the Zero Pollution Action Plan[5], the Commission is working on a review of EU waste laws to adapt them to the clean and circular economy principles, whereby waste prevention is scaled up, high quality recycling leads to clean secondary material cycles and residual waste is minimised[6]. As set out by the Clean Industrial Deal[7], the Commission intends to adopt a Circular Economy Act in 2026 to increase circularity and recycling capacity in the EU and will work on measures to incentivise diversion from landfill towards re-use and recycling through more effective separate collection.
- [1] Regulation (EU) 2020/852 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 June 2020 on the establishment of a framework to facilitate sustainable investment, and amending Regulation (EU) 2019/2088, OJ L 198, 22.6.2020, p. 13-43.
- [2] https://environment.ec.europa.eu/strategy/circular-economy-action-plan_en.
- [3] Article 4, 11 and 13 of, Directive 2008/98/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 November 2008 on waste and repealing certain Directives, OJ L 312, 22.11.2008, p. 3-30, as amended by Directive (EU) 2018/851 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May, OJ L 150, 14.6.2018, p. 109-140.
- [4] Article 5 of Council Directive 1999/31/EC of 26 April 1999 on the landfill of waste, OJ L 182, 16.7.1999, p. 1-19, amended by Directive (EU) 2018/850 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2018, OJ L 150, 14.6.2018, p. 100-108.
- [5] https://environment.ec.europa.eu/strategy/zero-pollution-action-plan_en.
- [6] Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions: Pathway to a Healthy Planet for All EU Action Plan: ‘Towards Zero Pollution for Air, Water and Soil’, COM(2021)0400 final.
- [7] https://commission.europa.eu/topics/eu-competitiveness/clean-industrial-deal_en.