EU Commission: Lithuania has missed waste management targets along with all EU countries

  • 2024-07-29
  • BNS/TBT Staff

VILNIUS – Lithuania, along with all other European Union (EU) countries, has failed to meet the waste collection and recycling targets set out in Community legislation, the European Commission (EC) has ruled, launching infringement proceedings against each country and sending them letters of formal notice.

The Commission said that Lithuania had failed to meet the 50-percent target for 2020 of preparing for reuse and recycling of municipal waste, such as paper, metal, plastic and glass, as established in the Waste Framework Directive.

According to the Commission, the countries also failed to duly implement the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive, which required that, by December 31, 2008, between 55 percent and 80 percent of all packaging waste must be recycled. The established recycling goals for various materials include 60 percent for glass, 60 percent for paper and cardboard, 50 percent for metals, 22.5 percent for plastics, and 15 percent for wood but many of these targets were missed.

Also, the majority of Member States failed to meet a yet another target related to the separate collection and proper treatment of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE). The minimum collection rate to be achieved annually by the Member States is 65 percent of the average weight of electrical and electronic equipment placed on the market in the three preceding years in the Member State concerned, or alternatively 85 percent of WEEE generated on the territory of that Member State.

“Member States should boost their implementation efforts in order to meet … obligations. In that respect, Member States could rely on the country-specific recommendations identified in the 2023 Waste Early Warning Report. This will also help Member States to meet the forthcoming targets of 2025, 2030 and 2035, established by the recent amendments of the EU waste legislation,” the Commission said in a press release.

The Commission formally informed all members of the bloc that they have two months to respond to the letters of formal notice sent to them and to address the shortcomings.

In order to recycle more waste in Lithuania, the government approved a legislative package at the end of June to make producers and importers more responsible for the waste from their products or goods.

According to Environment Minister Simonas Gentvilas, the aim is to ensure that as much of this waste as possible is collected and managed, and that this service is guaranteed throughout Lithuania.

The amendments proposed by the Environment Ministry have yet to be approved by the Seimas.