EU - Draft Commission Implementing Regulation Laying Down Rules for the Application of Directive 2008/98/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council as Regards Criteria to Determine when Plastic Waste Ceases to be Waste

​The European Commission issued a Draft Commission Implementing Regulation laying down rules for the application of Directive 2008/98/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council with regard to the criteria for determining when plastic waste ceases to be waste.

​The draft Implementing Regulation establishes harmonized, EU-wide end-of-waste criteria for plastic waste pursuant to Article 6(2) of Directive 2008/98/EC on waste. It applies to discarded thermoplastic polymers and blends of thermoplastic polymers, irrespective of polymer type or waste source, that can be used as feedstock for mechanical or solvent-based recycling processes.

The proposed end-of-waste criteria would also apply to operators in third countries seeking to place recycled plastic on the EU market as a non-waste material, in accordance with Article 5 of the draft Implementing Regulation.