Every day without a decision on litter from Demir could cost Belgium a ministerial annual salary

Two weeks before the elections, a rich, complicated but important dossier has ground to a halt at the interregional level. Who pays for the processing of litter, the consumer or the producer?

31 May 2024

Two weeks before the elections, a costly, complicated but important file is stuck in the interregional doldrums. Who pays for the processing of litter, the consumer or the producer? The far from sexy file "ISA EPR + litter" pours the extended producer responsibilities into a cooperation agreement and passes litter costs on to packaging producers. Belgium was already obliged to do this when Europe approved the directive on 'Single Use Plastics' in January 2023; Minister Demir's refusal to sign off on this could cost us up to 164,000 euros per day. Do we take the risk until a next government does make decisions, or will the minister still find a solution now? Shielding with the federal tax on single-use packaging Where Brussels and Wallonia want to make progress, Flemish Minister of Environment Demir demands that the regional litter tax is only introduced when the federal government lowers the tax on single-use plastics. This makes no sense, as it concerns two different taxes on two different polluting impacts of the packaging industry. Currently, the cost of litter is borne by cities and municipalities, while we all agree that the polluter should pay. Will the solution for deposit return systems and litter disappear along with it? However, this indecisiveness goes further than the financing of litter clearance. After all, the file also concerns the negotiations around deposit return systems and a new interregional body to oversee the extended producer responsibilities. Minister Demir has already several times proposed its introduction by 2025 at the latest. If the agreement on this has to wait for the next government, that becomes highly unlikely. As for the new extended producer responsibilities, this is seen by most stakeholders as highly desirable. The proposal on this has already been approved in two rounds of voting. The Walloon and Brussels Capital Regions have also already approved the final reading, but an agreement now risks sinking into this whole. Only Demir still has to come across the bridge Both the Walloon and Brussels regions have already given the green light to implement the agreements on "ISA EPR + litter"; only Minister Demir is still in the way. She can still convene a Council of Ministers until next week. This way, she ensures substantial progress in tackling packaging waste and avoids the risk of treating us all to a fine of more than 60 million euros. Related tags More on this topic

Shielding with the federal tax on single-use packaging

Where Brussels and Wallonia want to make progress, Flemish Minister of Environment Demir demands that the regional litter tax is only introduced when the federal government lowers the tax on single-use plastics. This makes no sense, as it concerns two different taxes on two different polluting impacts of the packaging industry. Currently, the cost of litter is borne by cities and municipalities, while we all agree that the polluter should pay.

Will the solution for deposit return systems and litter disappear along with it?

However, this indecisiveness goes further than the financing of litter clearance. After all, the file also concerns the negotiations around deposit return systems and a new interregional body to oversee the extended producer responsibilities. Minister Demir has already several times proposed its introduction by 2025 at the latest. If the agreement on this has to wait for the next government, that becomes highly unlikely. As for the new extended producer responsibilities, this is seen by most stakeholders as highly desirable. The proposal on this has already been approved in two rounds of voting. The Walloon and Brussels Capital Regions have also already approved the final reading, but an agreement now risks sinking into this whole.

Only Demir still has to come across the bridge

Both the Walloon and Brussels regions have already given the green light to implement the agreements on "ISA EPR + litter"; only Minister Demir is still in the way. She can still convene a Council of Ministers until next week. This way, she ensures substantial progress in tackling packaging waste and avoids the risk of treating us all to a fine of more than 60 million euros.