Article 6

Recovery and recycling 1. In order to comply with the objectives of this Directive, Member States shall take the necessary measures to attain the following targets covering the whole of their territory: no later than 30 June 2001 between 50 % as a minimum and 65 % as a maximum by weight of packaging waste will be recovered or incinerated at waste incineration plants with energy recovery; no later than 31 December 2008 60 % as a minimum by weight of packaging waste will be recovered or incinerated at waste incineration plants with energy recovery; no later than 30 June 2001 between 25 % as a minimum and 45 % as a maximum by weight of the totality of packaging materials contained in packaging waste will be recycled with a minimum of 15 % by weight for each packaging material; no later than 31 December 2008 between 55 % as a minimum and 80 % as a maximum by weight of packaging waste will be recycled; no later than 31 December 2008 the following minimum recycling targets for materials contained in packaging waste will be attained: 60 % by weight for glass; 60 % by weight for paper and board; 50 % by weight for metals; 22,5 % by weight for plastics, counting exclusively material that is recycled back into plastics; 15 % by weight for wood. 2. Packaging waste exported out of the Community in accordance with Council Regulations (EEC) No 259/93(6), (EC) No 1420/1999(7) and Commission Regulation (EC) No 1547/1999(8), shall only count for the achievement of the obligations and targets of paragraph 1 if there is sound evidence that the recovery and/or recycling operation took place under conditions that are broadly equivalent to those prescribed by the Community legislation on the matter. 3. Member States shall, where appropriate, encourage energy recovery, where it is preferable to material-recycling for environmental and cost-benefit reasons. This could be done by considering a sufficient margin between national recycling and recovery targets. 4. Member States shall, where appropriate, encourage the use of materials obtained from recycled packaging waste for the manufacturing of packaging and other products by: improving market conditions for such materials; reviewing existing regulations preventing the use of those materials. 5. Not later than 31 December 2007, the European Parliament and the Council shall, acting by qualified majority and on a proposal from the Commission, fix targets for the third five-year phase 2009 until 2014, based on the practical experience gained in the Member States in pursuit of the targets laid down in paragraph 1 and the findings of scientific research and evaluation techniques such as life-cycle assessments and cost-benefit analysis. This process shall be repeated every five years. 6. The measures and targets referred to in paragraph 1 shall be published by the Member States and shall be the subject of an information campaign for the general public and economic operators. 7. Greece, Ireland and Portugal may, because of their specific situations, namely respectively the large number of small islands, the presence of rural and mountain areas and the current low level of packaging consumption, decide to: attain, no later than 30 June 2001, lower targets than those fixed in paragraphs 1(a) and (c), but shall at least attain 25 % for recovery or incineration at waste incineration plants with energy recovery; postpone at the same time the attainment of the targets in paragraphs 1(a) and (c) to a later deadline which shall not, however, be later than 31 December 2005; postpone the attainment of the targets referred to in paragraphs 1(b), (d) and (e) until a date of their own choice which shall not be later than 31 December 2011. 8. The Commission shall, as soon as possible and no later than 30 June 2005, present a report to the European Parliament and the Council on the progress of the implementation of this Directive and its impact on the environment, as well as on the functioning of the internal market. The report shall take into account individual circumstances in each Member State. It shall cover the following: an evaluation of the effectiveness, implementation and enforcement of the essential requirements; additional prevention measures to reduce the environmental impact of packaging as far as possible without compromising its essential functions; the possible development of a packaging environment indicator to render packaging waste prevention simpler and more effective; packaging waste prevention plans; encouragement of reuse and, in particular, comparison of the costs and benefits of reuse and those of recycling; producer responsibility including its financial aspects; efforts to reduce further and, if appropriate, ultimately phase out heavy metals and other hazardous substances in packaging by 2010. This report shall, as appropriate, be accompanied by proposals for revision of the related provisions of this Directive, unless such proposals have, by that time, been presented. 9. The report shall address the issues in paragraph 8 as well as other relevant issues in the framework of the different elements of the Sixth Environmental Action Programme, in particular the thematic strategy on recycling and the thematic strategy on the sustainable use of resources. The Commission and the Member States shall, as appropriate, encourage studies and pilot projects concerning points 8(b), (c), (d), (e) and (f) and other prevention instruments. 10. Member States which have, or will, set programmes going beyond the maximum targets of paragraph 1 and which provide to this effect appropriate capacities for recycling and recovery shall be permitted to pursue those targets in the interest of a high level of environmental protection, on condition that these measures avoid distortions of the internal market and do not hinder compliance by other Member States with this Directive. Member States shall inform the Commission of such measures. The Commission shall confirm these measures, after having verified, in cooperation with the Member States, that they are consistent with the abovementioned considerations and do not constitute an arbitrary means of discrimination or a disguised restriction on trade between Member States."

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Source: EUR-Lex (Cellar) · retrieved 2026-10-22 · Text as adopted (Official Journal); later amendments are not incorporated in this text.