11 December 20237 December 2023 Parliament votes to water down EU’s packaging waste law The European Parliament adopted its position Wednesday (22 November) on legislation to reduce packaging waste, weakening some key measures on the table following a tense debate on the role of reuse, recycling and bans
EU-Parlament verwässert Verordnung über Verpackungsmüll Das EU-Parlament hat seinen Standpunkt zu einem Gesetz zur Verringerung von Verpackungsmüll angenommen. Nach einer hitzigen Debatte über die Rolle von Mehrweg, Recycling und Verboten wurden jedoch einige Punkte abgeschwächt
7 December 20236 December 2023 Eleven EU countries call for more ‘flexibility’ on CAP’s fallow land rules Eleven EU member states, including France, are calling for greater “flexibility” in the previously derogated requirement to leave land fallow under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) in a proposal that has left the European Commission perplexed
Elf EU-Länder fordern mehr „Flexibilität“ bei GAP-Regeln für Brachflächen Elf EU-Staaten, darunter auch Frankreich, fordern mehr „Flexibilität“ bei der im Rahmen der Gemeinsamen Agrarpolitik (GAP) eingeführten Ausnahmeregelung zur Stilllegung von Flächen. Die Europäische Kommission scheint davon überrascht
4 December 20234 December 2023 Circular Bioeconomy for the Future we want "Sustainably produced biomass is a scarce resource, thus a ‘cascading use’ approach should be the norm. Biomass sourcing should preferably focus on biomass waste" Janez Potočnik
1 December 202314 December 2023 Innovation award “Cellulose Fibre Innovation of the Year 2024” Six award nominees will present promising sustainable solutions for the industry in the field of cellulose fibres value chains. The full innovation potential of the cellulose fibre industry will be displayed to a wide audience in Cologne (Germany), and online
Innovationspreis “Cellulose Fibre Innovation of the Year 2024” Sechs nominierte Unternehmen werden vielversprechende nachhaltige Lösungen für die Industrie im Bereich der Cellulosefaser-Wertschöpfungsketten vorstellen. Das gesamte Innovationspotenzial der Zellulosefaserindustrie wird in Köln (Deutschland) und online einem breiten Publikum vorgestellt
30 November 20231 December 2023 Painting a Bio-Based Future with Microbially Produced Alginates, Lipids and Pigments To add to the pursuit of a climate-neutral Europe and a truly circular economy, the PERFECOAT project develops and validates a new generation of industrial wood and decorative coatings with more than 25% bio-based components
Zukunft nachhaltig gestalten mithilfe von mikrobiell hergestellten Alginaten, Lipiden und Pigmenten Um ein klimaneutrales Europa zu schaffen und Kreislaufwirtschaft aktiv zu fördern, entwickelt und validiert das Forschungsprojekt PERFECOAT eine neue Generation industrieller Holz- und Dekorationsfarben und Lacke mit über 25% bio-basierten Komponenten
29 November 202329 November 2023 Program for the Cellulose Fibres Conference 2024 Now Available: Cellulose Fibre Production – From Recycling Agricultural Waste, Banknotes and Textiles to Replacing Plastics in Hygiene, Packaging and Textiles The Conference will Showcase the Most Successful Solutions Based on Cellulose Fibres That are Currently Available on the Market
28 November 202323 November 2023 EU-Verordnungsentwurf zu Verlust von Kunststoffgranulat Mit dieser Initiative soll gegen Mikroplastik vorgegangen werden, das unbeabsichtigt in die Umwelt gelangt
27 November 202323 November 2023 UFOP veröffentlicht Sachstandsbericht „Biodiesel & Co. 2022/2023“ Der Bericht verdeutlicht, dass die EU-Kommission sich selbst überholt mit ihren Vorschlägen im Rahmen des „Green Deal“, aber gleichzeitig auf der Bremse steht, wenn es um die praktische Implementierung und Folgenabschätzungen in den Mitgliedsstaaten geht
23 November 202317 November 2023 New European Bauhaus Mission: Join the Wood4Bauhaus support letter The NEB Mission could be embedded in Horizon Europe with an own work programme and substantial possibilities for R&I funding in the coming years
Fate of New European Bauhaus: Mission hangs in the balance Member states aren’t convinced that giving the project Mission status is the best way to ‘green’ neighbourhoods and bring Europe’s architectural and cultural heritage into the net-zero era
21 November 202321 November 2023 Bottled drink firms attacked over misleading green claims Bottled water producers such as Coca-Cola, Danone and Nestlé are making misleading claims about the green credentials of their plastic packaging, 13 European consumer groups and umbrella federation BEUC said
10 November 20237 November 2023 UFOP publishes status report “Biodiesel & Co. 2022/2023” The report makes clear that the EU Commission is overtaking itself with its proposals within the framework of the "Green Deal", but at the same time is putting on the brakes when it comes to practical implementation and impact assessments in the member states
9 November 20233 November 2023 EU Regulation on deforestation-free products – What implications for smallholders? Any operator or trader who places these commodities on the EU market, or exports from it, must be able to prove that the products do not originate from recently deforested land or have contributed to forest degradation
7 November 20232 November 2023 Plastics manufacturers unite around a common vision to redesign the European plastics system Circular and net zero emissions ‘Plastics Transition’ roadmap highlights urgent need for policy framework that stimulates circular markets and investments
6 November 202331 October 2023 Verpackungsverordnung: Biokunststoffe versus Rezyklate? Der EP-Umweltausschuss stimmt über die Neuregelung der EU-Verpackungsverordnung ab. Biokunststoffe könnten künftig die Rezyklatquote senken
2 November 202331 October 2023 Supply chain letter on the need for mass balance fuel-use exempt for chemical recycling 20 associations call on EU Member States to urgently adopt mass balance fuel-use exempt as the EU harmonised mass balance method for allocating recycled content via chemical recycling
Verbände fordern Anerkennung von „Fuel Use Exempt“-Massenbilanzierung 20 europäische Verbände fordern eine EU-weite Regulierung und Anerkennung von Massenbilanzen für das chemische Recycling nach der „Fuel Use Exempt“-Regel
30 October 202326 October 2023 The Commission proposes measures to reduce microplastic pollution from plastic pellets This proposal aims to ensure that all operators handling pellets in the EU take the necessary precautionary measures, contributing to cleaner ecosystems, to plastic-free rivers and ocean, and reducing potential risks to human health
Kommission schlägt Maßnahmen zur Verringerung der Verschmutzung durch Mikroplastik aus Kunststoffgranulat vor Mit diesem Vorschlag soll sichergestellt werden, dass alle Akteure, die mit Kunststoffgranulat umgehen, die erforderlichen Vorsichtsmaßnahmen ergreifen, um zu saubereren Ökosystemen, zu kunststofffreien Flüssen und Ozeanen und einer Verringerung der potenziellen Risiken für die menschliche Gesundheit beizutragen
26 October 202323 October 2023 Warum kommen Biokunststoffe in Deutschland nicht voran? Biokunststoffe gelten als nachhaltige Alternative im Verpackungsbereich, doch Unsicherheiten und begrenzte Verfügbarkeit bremsen ihren Durchbruch. Wie lassen sich die Hindernisse beseitigen?
24 October 202317 October 2023 Verpackungsgesetz: EU ringt um Definition von „hochwertigem“ Recycling Umweltorganisationen warnen vor dem Downcycling hochwertiger Materialien zu minderwertigen Produkten, da Papier zur größten Abfallquelle in der EU werden könnte
Definition of ‘high-quality’ recycling takes centre stage in EU packaging law Environmental groups warn against downcycling high-quality materials into lower-quality products, saying paper risks becoming the largest source of packaging waste in the EU
18 October 202318 October 2023 Keeping up with the latest sustainability claims under the new EU legislation – what does all of this mean for the future of your company? The nova-Institute invites interested parties to the nova Session on “Sustainability Claims under New EU Legislation – From Sustainable Finance to Green Claims”
17 October 202311 October 2023 Smoothing the path to net-zero emissions A new policy paper highlights the ConsenCUS project’s key findings and policy recommendations on the deployment of carbon capture, utilisation and storage technologies
Den Weg zur Klimaneutralität ebnen In einem neuen Strategiepapier werden die wichtigsten Ergebnisse und politischen Empfehlungen des Projekts ConsenCUS für den Einsatz von Technologien zur Abscheidung, Nutzung und Speicherung von CO2 hervorgehoben
Partnering with IKEA and the LEGO Group regarding mass balance Proposal for an EU definition of mass balance
PPWR food & beverage packaging bans: are they sustainable? A critical review on the most controversial measures
13 October 202310 October 2023 BIC Trend Report: rethinking the approach to the EU bioeconomy and taking action For the first time, BIC has published a Trend Report on how Europe can unleash the full potential of the bioeconomy, enabling it to better contribute to the EU’s green transition
6 October 20232 October 2023 Fashioning a Greener Future In this article, we explore the EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles, as well as topics within the fashion industry that need addressing, such as the urgent necessity for textile-to-textile recycling and the illegal export of waste
5 October 20234 October 2023 European Commission OKs Novamont’s Purchase by Eni Unit Versalis Last Friday European Commission gave the green light to Novamont’s purchase by Versalis
4 October 20232 October 2023 EU reaches deal banning ‘climate-neutral’ product claims In the wake of longstanding complaints of greenwashing by consumer advocates, EU institutions finalised a new law on Tuesday (19 September) enacting a sweeping ban to combat the misleading of its citizens through erroneous claims of sustainability
EU verbietet Greenwashing von Produkten Nach lang anhaltenden Beschwerden von Verbraucherschützern über sogenanntes „Greenwashing“ haben die EU-Institutionen am Dienstag (19. September) ein neues Gesetz verabschiedet. Es sieht ein umfassendes Verbot Produktversprechen über „Klimaneutralität“ vor, um die EU-Bürger vor Irreführungen zu schützen
29 September 20234 October 2024 Monthly news from the Renewable Carbon Initiative (RCI), September 2023 Review to the Annual General Meeting of the RCI, an update of the first major RCI-publication, the Guiding Principle Paper, a position-paper on the Commission Proposal for a Green Claims Directive (GCD), RCI in Brussels, about the latest webinar with Alfa Laval and Borealis and more
EU funds €4.5 million to bioeconomy project exploring sustainable adhesives and coatings from tree bark In a four-year project the partners will improve the sustainability and safety profiles of adhesive and coating products
Erforschung nachhaltiger Klebstoffe und Beschichtungen aus Baumrinde Die Partner wollen in diesem vierjährigen Projekt die Nachhaltigkeit und das Sicherheitsprofil von Klebstoffen und Beschichtungsprodukten verbessern
25 September 202321 September 2023 Adapting Certification Schemes for Biomass and Biowaste Resources The BioReCer Project aims to adapt the certification schemes for bio-based products to boost market confidence and use by the bio-based industries
70% of jet fuels at EU airports will have to be green by 2050 The European Commission seek to encourage the aviation sector to use sustainable aviation fuels in order to cut emissions
22 September 202319 September 2023 Recycling plastic waste into high-value materials: Plastics2Olefins is closing the loop The Plastics2Olefins project is paving the way for the industrialisation of high-temperature pyrolysis for circular olefins production
E-fuels for new combustion cars must be 100% climate neutral: EU Commission draft New cars and vans with internal combustion engines are allowed even after 2035, provided that they run “exclusively on CO2 neutral fuels”
EU-Kommission: E-Fuels für neue Verbrenner müssen klimaneutral sein Neue Verbrenner-Fahrzeuge sollen demnach auch nach 2035 erlaubt sein, sofern sie „ausschließlich mit CO2-neutralen Kraftstoffen“ betrieben werden
21 September 202318 September 2023 Parliament raises recycling goals in EU Critical Raw Materials Act The EU will aim to recycle at least 45% of each “Strategic Raw Material” contained in the Union’s waste under plans voted on by the European Parliament’s industry committee on Thursday (7 September)
18 September 202313 September 2023 InvestEU: EIF invests €50 million to support circular plastics Infinity Recycling BV created markets for end-of-life waste streams by investing in advanced recycling technologies that enable circularity in the plastics industry
EU investiert in innovative Recycling-Technologien Mit einem Zielvolumen von 150 Millionen Euro soll der Fonds das industrielle und kommerzielle Wachstum von Unternehmen, die neue Verfahren für innovatives Recycling von Kunststoffen entwickeln, unterstützen
13 September 202312 September 2023 Will the promise of CO2-neutral e-fuels hold? When German transport minister Volker Wissing made a last-minute intervention earlier this year to stop the phase-out of internal combustion engines for cars, he argued that the potential of e-fuels as an alternative to electric mobility for climate-neutral road transport shouldn’t be excluded
11 September 202317 December 2024 Publication of RCI’s position paper on the Green Claims Directive proposal This September, the Renewable Carbon Initiative (RCI) has released a position paper concerning the Commission’s Proposal for a Green Claims Directive (GCD) from March 2023
4 September 202331 August 2023 European Green Deal: more sustainable use of plant and soil natural resources The Commission adopted a package of measures for a sustainable use of key natural resources, which will also strengthen the resilience of EU food systems and farming