The proposal for a Council Directive on packaging and packing waste, a common position on which was agreed at the Environment Council of 13 December 1993, provides that, in the case of member states generally (a) no later than five years from the date by which the directive must be implemented in national law, between 50 per cent as a minimum and 65 per cent as a maximum by weight of packaging waste will be recovered, and (b) within this general target, and within the same time period, between 25 per cent as a minimum and 45 per cent as a maximum by weight of packaging waste will be recycled, with a minimum of 15 per cent for each packaging material.
In the case of certain smaller peripheral member states, including Ireland, at least 25 per cent of packaging waste must be recovered within the first five years, with the targets at (a) and (b) above to be reached by the end of 2005.
The common position agreed by qualified majority of the Environment Council represents the balance of political views within the Union at this time on the regulation of the packaging waste stream. The draft directive as currently agreed has been designed to deal with different situations in member states and the need to avoid creating barriers to trade or distortion of competition.
