As the leading coordinator of selective collection, sorting and recycling of household packaging waste in Belgium, we at Fost Plus welcome the environmental priorities of the Belgian Presidency in general, and those related to resource efficiency in particular.

One key milestone of the Presidency programme is the EU policy on sustainable consumption and production (SCP). The Presidency is keen to see the issue of SCP high on the EU political agenda and we support this development. Reducing overall environmental impact associated with use of natural resources, consumption patterns, and waste management is a key priority for us, as well as for PRO EUROPE, our umbrella organisation at EU level.

We would encourage the Presidency and other stakeholders to draw lessons from the successful cases in packaging recycling. In Belgium, 85% of all household packaging is being recycled. In a recent survey, 95% of Belgian citizens reported that they sort their waste on a regular basis. They consider it their most important personal contribution to the environment. However, according to the same survey, waste is only eighth in the ranking of environmental concerns, far behind global warming, air pollution and CO2-emissions. It would be interesting to investigate how the remarkable achievements in packaging recycling, based on a sound collection scheme, appropriate incentives and intensive sensitization campaigns, could be transposed to other environmental challenges.

The Commission is also due to undertake an initiative on inspection, monitoring and implementation of waste legislation. The Presidency may in particular conduct discussions on the establishment of a Waste Legislation Implementation Agency. This would be a welcome development and would support Member States to meet targets for recycling that are held in the different waste directives. While such a move would be positive in terms of convergence of results in the different Member States, it would also need to be proportionate, without too much associated administrative burden.

Through our involvement in PRO EUROPE, we are keen to contribute to the success of the Presidency. One major contribution will be PRO EUROPE’s 5th Congress entitled "Green Dot 2010: Green Economy in Action", which will take place 7-8 October 2010 in Brussels. Organised under the patronage of Mr. Janez Potočnik, European Commissioner for Environment and also under the aegis of the Belgian presidency, the congress will look into how waste and resource management, as well as enhanced implementation of the producer responsibility principle, contribute to the shift towards a Green Economy, both from a political and business perspective. One key objective is to provide all stakeholders with a platform to reflect on achievements, voice new strategies and debate current EU policy on packaging and waste management issues.

For the first time the PRO EUROPE Congress will be preceded on 6 October by an ad-hoc seminar “Packaging 2020: Cradle to Cradle Management” geared towards an audience interested in learning more about producer responsibility. The seminar will give participants a sound basis of the issue so that they can gain more from the  core discussions in the Congress in the following days.

For further information on the Congress and seminar, please visit our website: www.proeurope-congress.com.