Sarajevo/Brussels, December 20th, 2013. The non-profit organisation EKOPAK, founded by packaging companies in Bosnia-Herzegovina today officially becomes a member of the umbrella organisation for European packaging and packaging waste recovery and recycling schemes in 32 countries, PRO EUROPE.

Brussels, 28 February 2013- PRO EUROPE, the umbrella organization representing those packaging recycling systems that mainly use the green dot as a trademark to symbolize the financial contribution to their organization set up in accordance with the principles defined by EC Council Directive 94/62, has appointed today a new managing director.

As always, this newsletter provides you with a glimpse of recent PRO EUROPE activities, this time a meeting between representatives from PRO EUROPE, Eco-Emballages and Fost Plus with the Principal Administrator responsible for waste in the Division for Environment and Economic Integration at the OECD in Paris.

In this edition, you will find an overview of some recent EU policy developments of relevance to PRO EUROPE’s priorities, this time including, inter alia, the Commission’s study on Waste Management Performance of EU Member States. The newsletter also gives you a glimpse of recent PRO EUROPE activities and members’ news.

PRO EUROPE welcomes the European Commission study on EU Member States waste management performances

An important mission for PRO EUROPE and its members is to contribute to reducing the environmental impact of packaging. As part of the work that we do, PRO EUROPE is proud to announce the launch of its new website proeurope4prevention.

PRO EUROPE calls for the clarification of market rules in the packaging & packaging waste management sector

Brussels, 15 June 2012 – in late May representatives of PRO EUROPE participated again in the experts workshops and the plenary meeting of International Standard Organisation (ISO) Committee on Packaging and Environment, this time in Seoul, South Korea, where the final texts of the ISO world Standards on Packaging and Environment were finalised and are expected for publication in October later this year.

Brussels, 31 May 2012 – In its study on the ‘Use of Economic Instruments (EIs) and Waste Management Performances’, BIO Intelligence Service (BIOIS) has carried out a critical examination of the relation between waste management in EU Member States and the use of EIs.

T.M.I.R. – also known as “TAMIR”, has been founded by the Manufacturer's Association of Israel to organise and finance the system for separate collection, recycling and recovery of packaging waste, allowing manufacturers and importers of packed consumed products to fulfill their obligations under the new Israeli Packaging Waste Law.

The final results of the Commission DG Environment’s project, carried out by Eunomia, on ‘Options and Feasibility of a European Refund System for Metal Beverage Cans’ were recently published. Eunomia has carried out a thorough and systematic methodological work in relation to the study, which makes several important findings.

PRO EUROPE, has written a letter to the Hungarian Secretary of State for Environmental Affairs, Zoltán Illés, to raise its concerns and rectify the misconception there may have been concerning PRO EUROPE’s views on the new Hungarian Product Charge law.

Fost Plus in partnership with PRO E has developed this virtual exhibition on packaging with a focus on food waste. click the heading above to view more...

In October 2011, youth, educators, and environmentalists gathered in London, Paris, Milan, Amsterdam and Oslo in a series of environmental forums organized by Tread Lightly. The purpose of these forums was to formulate recommendations for the Rio+20 Earth Summit agenda.

DSD Video: A video about the latest technology of plastic recycling by DSD click for more...

In recent years, a number of political initiatives (national and local) have been taken, involving the introduction of a levy or ban on plastic shopping bags in Europe.

The Hungarian government is planning to introduce a new tax regime for packaging waste although the industry has successfully fulfilled all recycling and recovery targets for used packaging up to now