EUROPEAN COMPOST NETWORK
ECN e.V.

Network for Organic Resources and Biological Treatment

ECN E-BULLETIN No. 11_2021

04 NOVemBer 2021

European Compost Network I 8 October 2021

EU Policy Exchange with MEP Maria Noichl on the Common Agricultural Policy and Compost

On October 8th we had a great policy exchange on the future Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) in relation to the sustainable use of compost in agriculture with MEP Maria Noichl (S&D) organised in cooperation with W. L. Gore & Associates GmbH in Bad Aibling. Invited by Thomas Terpetschnig and Ulf Harig (W.L. Gore & Associates GmbH) the policy debate was followed by representatives from the composting and agricultural sector.

Stefanie Siebert, Executive Director of ECN, introduced the bio-waste and composting sector in Europe by highlighting the role compost and digestate-based products can play to keep our soils healthy. With the new EU Green Deal several new policy strategies 'Farm to Fork', 'Biodiversity' and the expected 'EU Soil Strategy' are on the way, which underlines the importance on soil organic matter. Soil organic matter plays a key role for keeping our soils healthy and compost has the potential to maintain and increase the organic matter in soil.

Foto: Maria Noichl (MEP S&D) and Stefanie Siebert (Executive Director of ECN)

MEP Maria Noichl reported about the post-2020 Common Agricultural Policy (2021-2027) in which the so-called ‘eco-scheme’ will play an important role. Up to 25 % of the budget related to the CAP Pillar I are dedicated to the new 'eco-scheme' to reward farmers who adopt more environment and climate friendly (organic farming, agroecology, integrated pest management, etc.) as well as animal welfare improvements. The CAP has the potential to contribute to healthy soils, but it is up to the members states which measures will be taken up in the National CAP Plans. Until the end of 2021 the National CAP Plans have to be submitted for approval to the Commission.

With ECN's SOS Soil Initiative 'Save Organics in Soil' we underline the importance of soil organic matter and the role organic recycling can play to keep our soils healthy. We hope that the benefits of using high-quality compost in the new legislative approaches will be recognised by the policymakers and that we can contribute to a more sustainable and healthy life on earth.

The presentation of the policy exchange can be accessed here.

EU Commission

Inception Impact Assessment on Food waste reduction target

As part of the European Green Deal, the European Commission adopted the “Farm to Fork Strategy for a fair, healthy and environmentally-friendly food system” in May 2020 to reduce the environmental and climate footprint of the EU food system and facilitate the shift to healthy and sustainable diets. To this end, the strategy aims at addressing, amongst others, food waste, and herewith announces the proposal of EU-level targets for food waste reduction.

The Inception Impact Assessment on food waste reduction targets can be downloaded from the European Commission website, the objective of the initiative is to revise the Directive 2008/98/EC on waste. The amendment of Directive 2008/98/EC may also include other targets related to waste prevention (as envisaged in Art 9(9) thereof). The Commission is therefore also considering the establishment of a target to reduce municipal waste, to which a food waste reduction target would significantly contribute.

While the proposal will define the level of reduction for different stages of the food supply chain, each Member State will be able to choose the most effective measures taking into account its specific national situation. The Commission adoption is planned for the second quarter 2023.

COP26: Follow the Food

BBC broadcasts the Carbon Challenge

Saturday, 6 Nov 3:30 CET: In this Follow the Food special programme, Botanist James Wong explores the complicated relationship between food and carbon. Agriculture produces a significant amount of carbon dioxide, but it also has the potential to dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions. James meets the farmers, scientists and innovators attempting to solve agriculture's carbon challenge.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00118l0

European Compost Network I 23 September 2021

Visit at the International Practitioner Days on Composting in Austria

Surrounded by collection trucks, screening stations, bag openers, compost turners and scattering machines, on 23rd September, after the Annual Meeting of the association, an ECN’s delegation team the Earth Kingdom, “Erdenreich”.

A European Compost Network’s delegation from Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, Norway and Poland attended the international compost fair organised by the Austrian Compost and Biogas Association (KBVO) at the Brantner’s composting plant in Langenlois, North-west of Vienna. A complete and detailed visit of the facility was organised for the delegation during a warm and sunny day at the end of summer.

Foto: ECN Delegation at IPT 2021

The innovative “Erdenreich” plant is the youngest Austrian compost and soil facility and is authorised to treat 35.000 tons of bio-waste per year. The maturation process last for 12 weeks and the plant was built without a shredder to prevent that the micro-impurities (< 2 mm) ended in the final product. Part of the produced compost is reserved for free for citizens who can collect it directly at the plant for their hobby gardening, but the largest amount of compost is sold as high-quality soil improver.

More impressions from the 7th International Practitioner Day are available here: https://bit.ly/3lU5lKu

ECN Annual Meeting 2021 I 22 September 2021

Site visit to ‘Lobau’ the composting plant of the City of Vienna

The ECN Annual meeting 2021 was organised in cooperation with our National membership organisation the ‘Austrian Compost & Biogas Association’ on 22nd September 2021 in Vienna.

Starting with the visit to the impressive composting plant ‘Lobau’ in the morning, the meeting was opened with three key speeches on the state bio-waste treatment in Austria, the bio-waste management concept to the City of Vienna and the new initiative ‘Plastic free Austria’.

Thanks to the team of KBVÖ, the Team M48 of the City of Vienna and all speakers for their contributions. All presentations can be accessed on ECN's website.

At the ECN Annual three Board members were re-elected: Irmgard Leifert, (BGK DE), Susana Lopes (LIPOR, PT) and Domantas Tracevicius (NGO Ziedine ekonomika, LT).

Foto: Composting plant ‘Lobau’, treating around 100.000 tonnes of separately collected bio-waste of the City of Vienna

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.