Environmental compliance… the latest developments

What are the latest developments concerning environmental legislation globally? We’ve picked out some highlights for you for September 2022.

Negotiations on EU Battery Regulation continue

With the end of the summer break, and the resumption of political business in Brussels, negotiations on the new Battery Regulation continue. Preparations are currently underway for the third political trialogue meeting between the Council of the European Union, the European Parliament and the European Commission, which is scheduled for October.

The meeting is the first of its kind under the new Czech Council Presidency, which took over from France on 1 July. So far, negotiations between the three institutions have focused on the first articles of the regulation, especially the scope and definitions. In the coming weeks and months, discussions will then turn to the end-of-life management of batteries, including the provisions on extended producer responsibility, which are covered in chapter VII of the regulation.

The current plan is to conclude the negotiations before the end of the year. Landbell Group company European Recycling Platform continues to actively engage in the legislative process.

Member States support plans to revise Waste Shipment Regulation

The European Commission’s proposals to revise the Waste Shipment Regulation (see article from the June issue of COMPASS) have met with broad support from the Member States of the European Union.

Member States welcome the introduction of an electronic data exchange system as proposed by the Commission to improve communication between companies and authorities. The shortening of deadlines for the notification of waste shipments, on the other hand, met with scepticism, as there is concern that there would no longer be enough time for the necessary communication between the parties involved. The planned ban on shipments of waste for disposal is also supported, although the special situation of smaller Member States and border regions would have to be considered. The restriction on exports to third countries is also supported.

Within the Council, the Waste Shipment Regulation lies within the responsibility of the Environment Working Group. Under the leadership of the Czech Council Presidency, it will elaborate on the Council’s position in the coming months: this position will then form the basis for the negotiations with the Commission and the European Parliament.

Discussions on the regulation are also progressing in parliament. The vote in the lead Environment Committee is planned for the end of September, followed by the vote in plenary in November.

Transport packaging changes for users of fulfilment services in Germany 

From 1st July 2022, users of fulfilment services in Germany, e.g. online shops which have outsourced activities such as the packaging and shipping of their goods to an external service provider, must report and license the transport packaging used by their service provider themselves.

In a first step, users of fulfilment services need to find out the quantities of transport packaging used on their behalf. The best way to do this is to contact the service provider directly.

In a second step, they have to license these quantities with a packaging scheme, such as the one operated by Landbell. More information on the obligations can be found here.

The new requirement stems from an amendment to the German Packaging Law that came into force on 1 July. Transport packaging that was used by the fulfilment service provider up to and including 30 June must be licensed by the latter.