On 18th May 2010 the European Commission released a Communication with reference COM(2010)235 final to the Council and the European Parliament on future steps in bio-waste management in the European Union (see below). The introductory statement defines the parameters: “In the EU between 118 and 138 million tonnes of bio-waste are produced every year, of which about 88 million tonnes is municipal waste. It is projected to increase on average by 10% by 2020. On the EU average 40% of bio-waste is still landfilled (up to 100% in some Member States). However, landfilling (1) invokes major environmental risks such as emissions of greenhouse gases and pollution of soil and groundwater and, (2) withdraws valuable resources (compost, energy) irrevocably from economic and natural cycles” (see art. 1, p. 2).
The Commission Communication, entitled COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL AND THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT on future steps in bio-waste management in the European Union, finishes with a positively stated conclusion; “The analysis conducted by the Commission confirms that improved management of bio-waste in the EU holds an untapped potential for significant environmental and economic benefits. This Communication outlines actions to unlock this potential by making best use of the existing regulatory framework while safeguarding a wide margin of discretion for Member States in choosing the best options for their respective circumstances.”
NGVA Europe provides comment on the communication and commends the EU Commission for its openness to member-based solutions, at the same time pointing out the EU requires political support if it is to harness “the great advantages of natural gas and biomethane as a fuel”.
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