Focus on… Croatia

New Waste Act makes it easier for producers to comply with EPR obligations

On 31st July, the new Law on Waste Management, which replaced the 8-year-old Law on Sustainable Waste Management, came into force in Croatia.

The new law changes the landscape of compliance solutions for producers of ‘special waste types’, which include waste packaging, batteries and WEEE.

In addition to the well-established fee payment to the Croatian Environmental Fund, producers now have the possibility to comply through the Organizacija (Organisation) which is, by definition, a compliance scheme.

Other producer responsibilities regulated by this Law are:

• General registration obligation on the Environmental Fund register
• Adjusting the collection, recovery and recycling targets

These targets are in line with those set by the battery, packaging and electronic equipment directives. Achieving the targets is primarily the State’s responsibility, but producers should actively support this goal.

In the coming months, the Croatian Government plans to work on the regulations regulating extended producer responsibility for the waste streams, as well as the operation of the Organizacija and the register.

If you need further information, then Croatia is one of the countries covered by Landbell Group’s regulatory tracking service. Find out more about the service here.