COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT The early warning report for Spain Accompanying the document REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS on the implementation of EU waste legislation, including the early warning report for Member States at risk of missing the 2020 preparation for re-use/recycling target on municipal waste
Date: 2018-09-24
Institutions: Directorate-General for Environment, European Commission
Subjects: EU environmental policy, Spain, application of EU law, circular economy, environmental law, environmental protection, pollution control, prevention of pollution, waste, waste management

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 24.9.2018 SWD(2018) 425 final  COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT The early warning report for Spain Accompanying the document REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS on the implementation of EU waste legislation, including the early warning report for Member States at risk of missing the 2020 preparation for re-use/recycling target on municipal waste {COM(2018) 656 final} - {SWD(2018) 413 final} - {SWD(2018) 414 final} - {SWD(2018) 415 final} - {SWD(2018) 416 final} - {SWD(2018) 417 final} - {SWD(2018) 418 final} - {SWD(2018) 419 final} - {SWD(2018) 420 final} - {SWD(2018) 421 final} - {SWD(2018) 422 final} - {SWD(2018) 423 final} - {SWD(2018) 424 final} - {SWD(2018) 426 final}  
 
 
1.  Introduction 

This early warning report is part of the Commission's overall implementation report and aims 
to assist Member States at risk of failing to meet the 2020 target of 50 % preparation for re-
use/recycling of municipal waste set out in Article 11(2)(a) of Directive 2008/98/EC. It builds 
on  previous  support  provided  by  the  Commission  to  help Member  States  comply1  with  EU 
law in the area of municipal waste management. This resulted in country-specific roadmaps2 
being drawn up for the relevant Member States.  

The  assessment  underpinning  the  early  warning  report  is  based  on  a  collaborative  and 
transparent process involving the Member States concerned and an in-depth analysis of their 
most  recent  policy  developments.  This  also  involved  extensive  consultation  with  the 
authorities in charge of waste management.  

The possible actions identified during this process are based on the existing best practices and 
aim  to  help  Member  States  in  meeting  the  2020  municipal  waste  preparation  for  re-
use/recycling target; they therefore focus on policy measures that can be taken forward in the 
short  term.  These  actions  should  be  seen  as  complementary  to  those  recommended  in  the 
roadmaps that were drawn up as part of the preceding compliance promotion activities and to 
the recommendations made in the Environmental Implementation Review3. 

2.  Key findings 

In 2016, Spain’s municipal waste recycling rate (including composting) reported to Eurostat 
was 30 %, while its landfilling rate was 57 %. Based on an analysis of existing and planned 
policies  in  the  area  of  waste  management,  Spain  is  considered  at  risk  of  missing  the  2020 
target of 50 % preparation for re-use/recycling for municipal waste. 

The  assessment4  that  underpins  the  early  warning  report  concludes  that  slow  progress  in 
recycling rates is due to a lack of harmonisation of the separate collection obligation (e.g. for 
bio-waste) between the Autonomous Communities and a lack of economic instruments (e.g. 
landfill tax, incineration tax) set up at national level In addition, while the recycling targets 
have been cascaded down to the regional level, there are no instruments in place to enforce 
them at municipal level. Separate collection is not yet being carried out effectively in many 
municipalities. On the whole, there is not enough coordination between the national, regional 
and local levels, including as regards planning and use of the waste treatment infrastructure. 

The table below lists possible actions to support Spain's efforts to improve its performance in 
waste management. 

1 http://ec.europa.eu/environment/waste/framework/support_implementation.htm 
2 Roadmap for Spain: 
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/waste/framework/pdf/facsheets%20and%20roadmaps/Roadmap_Spain.pdf   
3 http://ec.europa.eu/environment/eir/country-reports/index2_en.htm 
4 Eunomia Research & Consulting et al. (2018), ‘Study to identify Member States at risk of non-compliance with 
the 2020 target of the Waste Framework Directive and to follow-up phase 1 and 2 of the compliance 
promotion exercise. The early warning report: Spain.’ 

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OVERVIEW OF POSSIBLE ACTIONS TO IMPROVE PERFORMANCE 

Separate collection 

1)  Introduction  of  compulsory  separate  collection  of  food  and  garden  waste  in  national 
legislation,  accompanied  by  a  set  of  qualitative  criteria,  such  as  minimum  collection 
rates and minimum collection quality standards (e.g. minimum frequency of collection 
or maximum plastic contamination rate). 

2)  Introduction of binding separate collection targets at municipal level, with penalties for 

non-compliance to enforce them. 

Economic instruments 

3)  Introduction of mandatory municipal waste charges for households, accompanied by an 
indication of the minimum cost recovery level for waste  management. These financial 
resources should support the necessary changes in waste collection and treatment. 

4)  Introduction  of  a  harmonised  taxation  scheme  for  waste  disposal  (i.e.  landfill  and 

incineration) operating across all Autonomous Communities. 

Monitoring 

5)  Publication by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fishing, Food and Environment of an annual 

review of municipal waste management in each region, including: 

regional performance in terms of recycling rates and distance to target; 

 
  operational measures implemented in the waste sector; 
 
  economic and legal instruments put in place by the regions. 

investments in the waste sector; 

6)  Collection  of  the  information  by  the  Ministry  on  commercial  waste  that  is  privately 

managed and could contribute to the overall municipal waste recycling rate. 

Technical support to municipalities  

7)  Development  of  a  system  at  national  level  that  provides  technical  support  for 

municipalities, specifically in the following areas: 

a.  choosing collection services;  
b.  service procurement; 
c.  service management; 
d.  communication campaigns; 

coupled with active sharing of good ideas and practices that can improve efficiency in 
terms of cost reduction and improvement in performance. 

Communication and awareness-raising programmes 

8)  Development of a set of national communications materials addressed to the public for 
use at local level, with clear and consistent messages. These materials should be used as 
part of awareness-raising campaigns, in leaflets, and at civic amenity sites. 

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