New EU regulations to reduce food waste

The European Union has adopted new measures to support the circular economy by addressing food waste. On Wednesday, February 14, members of the European Parliament's Committee on the Environment unanimously voted for the revision of the Waste Framework Directive, aimed at better preventing and reducing waste across the European Union.

MEPs have approved significantly more ambitious targets for reducing food waste. They aim for a minimum reduction of 20% in the food processing and manufacturing sector, and 40% per capita in retail, restaurants, food services, and households by 2030. This marks a significant increase compared to previous goals. Furthermore, an evaluation of even higher targets for 2035 is demanded, with at least 30% and 50% reductions respectively.

Next steps

The full European Parliament is scheduled to vote on its position during the plenary session in March 2024. Following the European elections in June, the new Parliament will further address the issue.

Background

Each year, the EU generates 60 million tons of food waste. With these new measures, the EU is determined to tackle food waste and promote a more sustainable food production and consumption.

Europarl.europa.eu