- Trading waste
Under the proposal, only facilities that are classified as recovery would be allowed to import waste from other member states. Facilities are essentially classifed as recovery operations if the energy (in particular heat) created during waste processing is greater than the energy required to process the waste.
France is concerned about this aspect of the text, because many of its incinerators, particularly those in the south of France where less heat generation is required, would no longer classify as recovery facilities and would be downgraded to disposal operations.
Sending waste, effectively as a tradable good, across EU member state borders for incineration purposes has also raised concerns in Denmark, which has a number of efficient recovery incinerators. Denmark is concerned that German waste in particular would flood into the country and sold to incinerators at a higher price than that which competing domestic-waste suppliers are able to offer.
- Getting rid of mercury
Ministers will discuss whether to expand the scope of the export ban beyond metallic mercury to mercury compounds, where to store waste mercury, and on which legal basis to legislate.
Parliament's proposal to create a total mercury trade ban, including import as well as export (EurActiv 20/06/07), will not be discussed.
- Improving water quality
Sticking largely to the Commission's orginal proposal, the German Presidency does not expect to encounter much difficulty in reaching a political agreement on establishing limits on the concentration of toxins, such as pesticides and heavy metals, in surface water.
The proposal is likely to encounter a much more critical reception during the second reading in Parliament, which wants to increase the number of "priority hazardous substances" in the list of toxins by 28 (23/05/07).
- More auctioning in EU-ETS?
A German proposal to increase the amount of auctioning in the EU-ETS seems to be gaining increasing support ahead of the Council. Ministers are also expected to ask the Commission to consider land-use for carbon offset, and to broaden the scheme through greater linkages with the Kyoto Protocol Clean Development Mechanism (CDM).
- Biodiversity, car emissions and potatoes
The Council will adopt a decision on EU participation in negotiations on trade in living genetically modified organisms under the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, and a conclusion on EU priorities for a May 2008 UN Convention on Biodiversity.
The Council will also give its reactions to a February Commission proposal to reduce vehicle CO2 emissions (EurActiv 08/02/07).
Concerning the authorisation of genetically modified potatoes for industrial starch use by German chemicals giant BASF, it is expected that Council will not reach a majority neither for nor against authorisation, meaning that the Commission will likely permit cultivation of the potato under a special "comitology" procedure.
