Source: European Parliament
1. According to available information, Tuscany’s regional waste management plan has not yet been formally adopted at regional Council level. After its adoption, the plan shall be placed on a publicly available website. Italy shall inform the Commission of the adoption[1]. When this has taken place, the Commission will assess the plan in relation to the legal requirements of the Waste Framework Directive and the Common Provisions Regulation[2].
2. The Common Provisions Regulation lays down the conditions for Member States to access the European Regional Development Fund[3], and the Cohesion Fund[4], the so-called ‘enabling conditions’.
The enabling condition on updated planning for waste management means that one or more waste management plan(s) as referred to in the Waste Framework Directive shall be in place and include a number of specific elements[5].
As for the Recovery and Resilience Facility[6], the Italian Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP) includes several measures related to waste management. However, the adoption of the regional waste management plans is not included in the Italian RRP.
Without prejudice to the Commission’s role as guardian of the Treaties, Member States are required to ensure compliance of measures included in the RRPs with EU and national law, including with the EU environmental acquis.
In regard to the RRP, the Commission assesses compliance with the requirements of the Council Implementing Decision[7] upon receipt of the relevant payment requests.
As a rule, following the principle of ‘do not significant harm’ (DNSH), landfills, incinerators, mechanical biological treatment plants, and activities where the long-term disposal of waste may cause harm to the environment are not eligible to be financed under RRPs.
- [1] Article 31-33 of Directive 2008/98/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 November 2008 on waste and repealing certain Directives, OJ L 312, 22.11.2008, p. 3-30, as amended by Directive (EU) 2018/851 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May, OJ L 150, 14.6.2018, p. 109-140.
- [2] Article 28 of Directive 2008/98/EC on waste, Annex IV, Section 2.6 of the Common Provisions Regulation, Regulation (EU) 2021/1060 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 June 2021 laying down common provisions on the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund Plus, the Cohesion Fund, the Just Transition Fund and the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund and financial rules for those and for the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund, the Internal Security Fund and the Instrument for Financial Support for Border Management and Visa Policy.
- [3] https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/funding/erdf_en
- [4] https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/funding/cohesion-fund_en; N.B. Italy is not eligible for the Cohesion Fund.
- [5] Annex IV, Section 2.6 of the Common Provisions Regulation: Regulation (EU) 2021/1060 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 June 2021 laying down common provisions on the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund Plus, the Cohesion Fund, the Just Transition Fund and the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund and financial rules for those and for the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund, the Internal Security Fund and the Instrument for Financial Support for Border Management and Visa Policy, OJ L 231, 30.6.2021, p. 159-706.
- [6] https://commission.europa.eu/business-economy-euro/economic-recovery/recovery-and-resilience-facility_en
- [7] https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/a0e7539e-8d32-11ee-8aa6-01aa75ed71a1/language-en