European Policy

ECN has subdivided its European policy work in ‘Task Groups’ for specific policy items.

ECN’s overall objective is to facilitate sustainable biodegradable waste management practices throughout the whole of the EU 28. This will be achieved supported, among other measures through the development and implementation of favourable EU policies (legislation), which mandate and promote respectively the separate collection of biodegradable waste and its biological treatment (through composting and anaerobic digestion), with the use of compost and digestate to benefit soil and the environment. We aim to achieve this by:

  • Organising bilateral meetings with heads of departments, responsible desk officers within the EU Commission (e.g. DG ENV, DG GROW, DG SANTE, and DG AGRI), as well as experts and rapporteurs of the European Parliament
  • Participating in relevant EC technical working groups as an expert stakeholder.
  • Organising a workshop to inform, and debate with, policy makers and ECN members about biowaste recycling. It is likely that this will focus on the EU proposal on Circular Economy and the revision of the Fertilisers Regulation.
  • Providing high quality information and expert opinion in the form of briefing papers and letters to heads of department, responsible EC desk officers and the European Parliament. These will be directed at specific policy initiatives, and will, in most cases, be followed up with face-to-face meetings.
  • Observing European policy and regulatory developments which impacts on bio-waste management (collection, treatment and the use of treatment outputs and products).