EUROPEAN COMPOST NETWORK
ECN e.V.

Network for Organic Resources and Biological Treatment

ECN E-BULLETIN No. 3_2025

25 march 2025

Council and European Parliament | Targeted revision of the Waste Framework Directive

Agreement reached on food waste and textiles

On 19 February, the Council and the Parliament reached a provisional agreement on new measures regarding food waste and textiles as part of the targeted revision of the Waste Framework Directive.

The revision sets up food waste reduction targets at national level: reduction by 10% in processing and manufacturing waste and by 30% per capita in retail, restaurants, food services and households by 2030. Currently, 46 million tons of food waste from households are not separately collected and end up in landfills.
The text also provides for the evaluation of the WFD and the Landfill directive by 2029.
The text must now be approved by the Parliament and the Council before being published.

European Commission | Clean Industrial Deal

Publication of the Commission’s Clean Industrial Deal

The Commission presented on 26 February its Communication on the Clean Industrial Deal, a business plan to support the competitiveness and resilience of European industry.

Concerning circular economy, the Clean Industrial Deal gives more details on the future Circular Economy Act (CEA) (expected end of 2026). This upcoming regulation should harmonise the End-of-Waste criteria to facilitate the transition from waste to valuable secondary raw materials and implement measures to incentivise diversion from landfill towards re-use and recycling through more effective separate collection. The Commission also takes the example of fertilisers to illustrate the potential of the Clean Industrial Deal across sectors. Indeed, it recognises that the domestic production of fertilisers, including of low-carbon fertilisers and fertilisers from recycled nutrients, reduces dependencies on fertiliser imports and emissions, promotes circular business models and should reduce input prices for farmers. To support the preparation of the CEA, the Commission should launch a Clean Industrial Dialogue on Circularity.
The Commission believes the bioeconomy can also further reduce dependencies on imported raw materials and states that the upcoming Bioeconomy Strategy (expected end of 2025) will lay down priorities for manufacturing and using bio-based materials, given their significant growth potential.

European Commission | Vision for Agriculture and Food

Publication of the Commission’s Vision for Agriculture and Food

The Commission published on 19 February a Communication on A Vision for Agriculture and Food. This roadmap on the future of farming and food in the EU was built on the report of the Strategic Dialogue on the Future of EU Agriculture and in consultation with the European Board for Agriculture and Food (EBAF).

With four priority areas – an attractive sector; a competitive and resilient sector; a future-proof sector; and fair living and working conditions in rural areas – the Vision is designed to secure the long-term competitiveness and sustainability of the EU’s farming and food sector. However, the Commission will not present new proposals but will focus mainly on better implementation of existing legislation and on incentive measures.

Bioeconomy and circularity are seen as having great potential to offer for agriculture and the Commission wants to accelerate the commercialisation of bio-based and circular solutions. It recognises that the EU’s food sovereignty depends on imported inputs such as fertilisers, and considers the support for the uptake and efficient use of low-carbon fertilisers and recycled nutrients, such as digestate, as a way of reducing such dependence. During an exchange of views with MEPs from the AGRI Committee, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Christophe Hansen highlighted the importance of the fertiliser strategy, including with regard to organic fertiliser to make better use of manure, with fewer nutrients loss. In addition, the Commission wants to pay special attention to improving nutrients management at farm level and increasing nutrients circularity which can help reduce the use of synthetic fertilisers. For this, they will use the evidence provided by the upcoming evaluation of the Nitrates Directive. Regarding carbon farming, the Commission considers it represents an additional source of income for farmers and welcomes the harmonisation introduced by the CRCF certification framework. However, the Commission stresses the important fragmentation of the existing sustainability standards and certifications. To address this issue, the Commission proposes to develop voluntary benchmarking system for on-farm sustainability assessments (e.g., on-farm sustainability compass that would allow farmers to monitor and record sustainability data only once). As for the CAP, the Commission wants to simplify the current system of conditionality and orient the future CAP away from conditions to incentives. Finally, the Commission insists on the need to reduce and recover food loss and food waste to increase the sustainability of the EU food system.

Union Database for Biofuels

Mobilisation of stakeholders on the draft delegated act

Since the release of a draft delegated regulation extending the scope of the Union Database for biofuels (UDB) during the public consultation opened by the European Commission at the end of last year, many stakeholders, including Member States and bioenergy industry, have expressed their concerns over the requirements set out in the text and are urging the Commission to postpone the use of the UDB or to introduce a transitional period.
Together with FEAD, ECN published a letter to express their concerns. ECN also met with the European Commission to discuss and address the issues, together with FEAD and EBA. We expect the revised draft to be published shortly.

EU JRC report I Green Deal I 01_2025

Delivering the EU Green Deal - Progress towards targets

This report provides a comprehensive assessment of progress towards the European Green Deal (EGD), the European Union’s transformative agenda for achieving climate neutrality by 2050. The analysis encompasses 154 quantifiable targets from 44 policy documents between 2019 and 2024 across key sectors such as climate, energy, circular economy, transport, agriculture and food, ecosystems and biodiversity, water, soil and air pollution.

The study shows that significant achievement has been delivered so far but progress needs to accelerate in many areas. As of mid-2024, 32 of the 154 targets are currently “on track” and 64 are identified as “acceleration needed” meaning that more progress is needed to meet the targets on time. Furthermore, 15 of the targets are found to be “not progressing” or “regressing”, and for 43 of the targets no data is currently available. The timing of the binding policies, most of which have been recently agreed and are expected to deliver results in the coming years, is a significant factor influencing these assessments.
This report integrates all EGD actions and related policies, offering an assessment of the EU’s green transition based on robust data and science. It identifies priority areas for intensified efforts to meet short-term implementation goals and contribute to the long-term ambition of a sustainable, fair, just, and climate-neutral Europe by 2050. This collective work serves as a benchmarking tool, providing scientifically grounded guidance for future EU policies and programmes.
The JRC report can be accessed here.

EEA-JRC Report | Zero pollution monitoring and outlook 2025

Publication of monitoring report on EU’s zero pollution targets

On 3 March, the European Environmental Agency published a monitoring and outlook assessment on zero pollution, presenting Member States progress in achieving the EU’s zero-pollution targets set for 2030.

According to the report, the EU is not on track to achieve several of its intermediate targets by 2030. It is the case for the target of reducing nutrient losses by 50% which is unlikely to be met due to the persistent challenges of agricultural runoff and fertiliser use. Regarding waste, the target of significantly reducing total waste generation is also unlikely to be met and the target of reducing residual municipal waste by 50% is off track, as total waste generation continues increasing in the EU.

JRC | Soil organic carbon

Publication of a study on the loss of soil organic carbon in European agricultural land

A study led by the JRC and published on 18 March in Nature Communications shows that soil organic carbon is at risk in a large part of European agricultural land.

The results of the study reveal that topsoil organic carbon pool is at risk in 23% to 44% of all EU and UK agricultural land. The study concludes that the majority of EU agricultural soils require additional protective measures such as increasing organic amendments and agroforestry.

Save the date: 3-5 June 2925 I Brussels

EU Green Week: Three Cs – Clean, Competitive & Circular

Competitiveness is at the heart of the EU’s agenda. This spring, a ‘Competitiveness Compass’ and the ‘Clean Industrial Deal’ will provide new direction and impetus. With its potential to drive sustainable competitiveness, reduce waste, increase strategic autonomy and promote innovation, circular economy offers solutions to some of the EU’s most pressing challenges.
This year’s Green Week will unpack the “three Cs” - Clean, Competitive & Circular – exploring how to put circularity at the centre of our economic transition. The conference will enable knowledge sharing, building of alliances, and awareness raising about the potential of a circular economy.

On 3-4 June, the conference will feature high-level debates on policy aspects of circular economy. On 5 June, in-depth discussions among stakeholders will focus on unleashing the circular economy’s potential for a competitive and resource-efficient Europe.
Registration will open at the end of April 2025 on this website.
A wider shift to circular models of production and consumption requires broad-based engagement. In 2025, the Green Week is therefore organised in partnership with the European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform and the European Circular Cities and Regions Initiative.

European Environment Agency (EEA) Report

Second annual report on 8th Environmental Programme Achievement

The 8th Environment Action Programme (EAP) is the EU′s legally agreed, overarching
framework for action on EU environmental policy until 2030. The programme includes a long-term priority objective of living well within planetary boundaries by 2050 at the latest. It also sets out six thematic priority objectives for 2030 and identifies the conditions needed to achieve them.
The 8th EAP Decision requires progress towards the priority objectives to be monitored annually (e.g. waste generation, nitrate in groundwater, share of renewable energy, circular material use rate, area under organic farming), taking into account the enabling conditions and the overall goal of systemic change. The European Environment Agency (EEA) takes stock of progress towards the 8th EAP objectives annually, based on a set of 28 headline indicators and corresponding targets. This report is the second in the annual series, you can read it here.

Interreg Peer Review | Bio-waste collection, treatment and tariff system

Expert mission to support progress in bio-waste management in the Coimbra region, Portugal

Organised under the umbrella of the Interreg Europe Policy Learning Platform the region of Coimbra (Comunidade Intermunicipal Regiao de Coimbra) requested an expert mission to support their transition towards effective bio-waste management, with a special focus on treatment and tariff systems. ECN’s Scientific Officer, Steffen Walk, responded to the call for experts and presented best practice cases of bio-waste management and pay-as-you-throw fee systems, as well as quality management of bio-waste during separate collection, as these topics are also part of the outcomes of the LIFE BIOBEST project. Other experts joined the mission, including two ECN members, LIPOR and VLACO:

Andrius Jučas, Alytus Region Waste Management Center, Lithuania
Susana de Freitas & Filipe Carneiro, LIPOR, Portugal
Kristel Vandenbroek, Vlaco Flanders, Belgium
Vera Melo, Cascais Ambiente, Portugal

They presented their local best practices for setting up and maintaining an efficient bio-waste management system.

Events

Save the Date I 4 June 2025

ECN's Annual Meeting 2025

LIFE BIOBEST Capacity-building online workshop | 10 April 2025

Enhancing bio-waste management – presentation of LIFE BIOBEST decision-making tools

This online capacity-building workshop is designed for regional and municipal representatives, as well as waste management professionals, who seek to:

Gain a deeper understanding of key contextual factors influencing bio-waste management
Explore tailored recommendations for more effective systems
Learn about comprehensive decision-making support tools to enhance bio-waste management and applied instruments

The agenda can be found here.

Registration Form (capped at 40 participants to ensure interactive group discussions)

Green Energy Expo & Romenvirotec I 9-11 April 2025

The leading fair for green energy, waste, and water management

In 2025, GREEN ENERGY EXPO, ROMENVIROTEC, and the new URBAN SMART EXPO concept come together to create the most comprehensive platform dedicated to technologies and solutions for a sustainable and digitized future.
This unique event highlights regional development programs, providing each region with a dedicated space to showcase their most relevant projects and strategic plans for 2050. ECN's member the Romanian Compost Association (ACR) will welcome you at the stand in the exhibition hall.

Registration and booking a boost can be done here.

EUSO Webinar I 14 April 2025

Phosphorus Knowledge for EU Decision Support Tools

The EUSO Technical Working Group on Nutrients organizes a webinar to present the existing soil phosphorus knowledge at EU scale, and to discuss the way forward to improve the knowledge for EU policy and decision support tools.

Check out the agenda or register here!

Save the date I 14 - 15 May 2025

BVOR-Demodays

The BVOR – Dutch Association of Biowaste Processors – is organizing the 14th edition of the BVOR-Demodays on May 14 and 15, 2025. This year, the event will take place at Den Ouden Organic Vlagheide in Schijndel. The BVOR-Demodays are free to attend, and there is no need to register in advance.
During the event, exhibitors will showcase machines for processing green residual streams into products like compost and wood chips. Demonstrations will feature equipment such as chippers, shredders, windrow turners, and screening machines. This year, several electric and hybrid machines will also be on display.

The BVOR represents producers of compost, biomass, and other renewable raw materials, Den Ouden Organic is one of its members. For more information about the BVOR-Demodays, visit bvor.nl/bvor-demodagen.

ICAW 2025 I 4-10 May 2025

Sustainable Communities Begin with Compost!

This theme was chosen with the aim of highlighting composting in all types of communities at all scales - from backyard home composters, to community composters, to large-scale facilities, to all those who recognise the many benefits of using compost on our soils. As in previous years, the theme was chosen by all the international partners who are part of the International Compost Alliance - making it a truly international theme.

This year's theme was inspired by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #11 "Sustainable Cities and Communities: Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable".
Composting empowers communities and cities to manage their own waste locally, create jobs and support healthy soils with locally produced compost. The theme highlights that by reusing food that would otherwise go to landfill or incineration, we're creating fresh nutrients for the soil, regenerating the earth and providing healthier food for everyone in the community.
By separating your food and garden waste at home, you can help create a more sustainable future for our communities by participating in your local community and city's separate collection scheme.
Please celebrate ICAW 2025 with us! Let us know what events and activities you are planning this week by emailing info@compostnetwork.info.

LIFE BIOBEST Final Event & Celebration | 05 June 2025 | Limited registrations are open

Transforming Europe’s bio-waste future

As LIFE BIOBEST concludes its 2.5-year journey of research, best-practice dissemination, and capacity building, we are gathering a group of leading experts, frontrunners and key policymakers in bio-waste management to:

Present LIFE BIOBEST’s comprehensive resources and tools developed for municipal and regional authorities to enhance their bio-waste management systems and overcome local challenges;
Share our key policy recommendations addressing current gaps in EU bio-waste management
Discuss the future of the sector and necessary steps forward

Event Details:
Date: June 5th, 2025
Time: 9:30 AM - 13:30 PM
Location: Brussels (venue to be confirmed)
Format: In-person
Capacity: 100 seats

✔️Add the event to your Calendar [Link]
✔️ Register before May 5 to guarantee your spot [Registration Link]
More info HERE

For any questions, feel free to reach out to manon@zerowasteeurope.eu.

For ECN members: This meeting takes place just one day after ECN’s annual meeting.

CYPRUS 2025 I 25-28 June 2025

12th International Conference on Sustainable Solid Waste Management

The CYPRUS 2025 12th International Conference on Sustainable Solid Waste Management will take place in Paphos, Cyprus from 25th to 28th June 2025. The conference website is available at: https://cyprus2025.uest.gr.

Anaerobic Digestion, Waste-to-Energy, Waste Valorization, Biotechnology & Biorefineries, Symbiosis and Circular Economy, Recycling & Resources Recovery, Plastics & Bioplastics, Hazardous Waste include indicative conference topics.
The conference will take place both with physical presence and virtually. More than 500 abstracts have already been submitted. The deadline for abstract submission has been extended until 28th February 2025 (https://cyprus2025.uest.gr/abstract-submission/ ).

KBVÖ I 8 September 2025

9th International Practitioners' Day for Composting

Following the success of previous International Practitioner Days, the Austrian Compost and Biogas Association invites you to the 9th edition at Erdbau Winkler GmbH in Hartberg, Styria. This event showcases innovations, trends, and visions in composting. With around 404 composting plants in Austria processing 1.56 million tons of biogenic waste annually, new technologies are advancing through partnerships between plant operators and technology suppliers. Leading companies will present mobile shredding machines, and the latest tech in turning, screening, measuring, and more. This event is for plant operators, waste handlers, farmers, contractors, and anyone involved in composting.

More information here.

S.O.S Save Organics in Soil

This international initiative S.O.S. SOIL – Save Organics in Soil, led by the European Compost Network (ECN) and the Italian Composting and Biogas Association (CIC), aims to highlight the importance of soil organic matter to encourage policy makers to develop instruments to move Europe towards implementing sustainable, climate proof soil management practices.

Sign the manifesto 'Save Organigs in Soil' here.