Poles, industry welcome EU initiative on recyclable waste

A European Commission proposal to ban recyclable waste going to landfill won potentially decisive support from Warsaw and the packaging industry as ministers prepare for talks on Friday (4 March) to convince hesitant Eastern European member states, EurActiv reports. The EU's 28 environment ministers will hold a first exchange of views on the Commission's circular economy package of proposals at Friday's Environment Council in Brussels: http://www.euractiv.com/section/climate-environment/news/landfill-ban-wins-polish-backing-ahead-of-eu-talks-on-waste/

An EU-wide ban on landfill for recyclable waste would provide a much-needed push for the circular economy by increasing the amount of secondary raw materials available on the market, says Erika Mink,Vice President for Public Affairs at Tetra Pak International, a multinational food packaging and processing company, in an interview with EurActiv: http://www.euractiv.com/section/climate-environment/interview/tetra-pak-no-packaging-should-end-up-in-landfill/

The newly appointed chairwoman of the European Parliament's inquiry into the "dieselgate" scandal, where car companies cheated in emissions tests, has rejected accusations that her committee could become a witch-hunt against the car industry, EUobserver reports: https://euobserver.com/environment/132528

The next phase of the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) will nearly quadruple European refiners' carbon costs to around 23 euro cents per barrel, up from six cents now, the head of the European refiners' industry body said on Tuesday, EurActiv reports. He added to calls from other energy intensive industries for free allowances to cover their emissions until there is a global carbon price: http://www.euractiv.com/section/all/news/ets-reform-to-quadruple-refiners-carbon-costs-industry-says/

Following the European Commission's termination of an infringement procedure against Italy, the country has updated its rules relating to the use of animal waste in agriculture and still retains hopes of amending the EU's Nitrates Directive. EurActiv Italy reports.

French MPs yesterday (Tuesday 1 March) began their second reading of the biodiversity bill, which many hope will outstrip European standards and enforce a complete ban on the bee-killing pesticides. EurActiv France reports.

EU states have decided to extend the life of blacklists of Russians and Ukrainians deemed responsible for the Ukraine conflict or for plundering Ukraine's treasury, EUobserver reports: https://euobserver.com/foreign/132538

The EU is edging closer to setting an antitrust case with Gazprom, sources have told Reuters (as reported in EUobserver). Gazprom's Alexander Medvedev will meet EU competition chief Margrethe Vestager next week, the sources said, as the Russian firm tries to avoid up to €7 billion in fines for overcharging customers and blocking rivals: https://euobserver.com/tickers/132535

Golden Dawn thugs, led by two Greek nationalist MEPs, disrupted an event held in the European Parliament yesterday (2 March), screaming at those present to "shut up" and leaving them "frozen with fear": http://www.euractiv.com/section/eu-priorities-2020/news/golden-dawn-thugs-disrupt-european-parliament-meeting/

With thanks to Peter Morris, European Movement in North East