France faces court action over packaging waste law delays

By Rory Harrington

- Last updated on GMT

Related tags Packaging waste European union France Ec

France faces court action over packaging waste law delays
The French Government faces being hauled into court unless it can convince Brussels that it has adopted European legislation designed to cut packaging waste.

The European Commission yesterday confirmed that it has sent a warning to Paris as the Government of Nicholas Sarkozy has yet to confirm that the Europe-wide law has been put in place.

The EC expressed concern and has urged France to prove it has amended its national legislation through a reasoned opinion sent to the government.

“If France fails to reply within two months, the Commission may refer the case to the European Court of Justice,”​ it added.

In May 2011, France said it would change its law but the EC appeared to think Paris was dragging its feet after expressing fears over the “pace of change”.

Packaging waste law

EC Directive 94/62/EC on packaging and packaging waste covers all packaging waste regardless of the material used. It is intended to cut the volume of waste and encourage sustainable growth.

The Directive sets criteria for defining packaging and packaging waste that member states are required to adopt. This definition is key as it determines the scope of application of the directive.

EU countries must keep the weight of packaging waste to a minimum, as well as developing reuse and recycling systems.

It also introduces recovery and recycling targets for glass, paper, cardboard, metal, plastics and wood packaging that were to be met by France by 2008. It covers all packaging throughout the production and consumption chain.

The EC said France has not yet transposed the waste standards “which could lead to the packaging waste rules not being applied to all the relevant items”.

The EC told FoodProductionDaily.com: “This is more a procedural communication at this stage. When France notifies the Commission that legislation has been transposed, it will then be subject to further analysis to ensure it conforms.”

Related topics Processing & Packaging

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