Concretising the role of extended producer responsibility in European Union waste law and policy through the lens of the circular economy

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to shed light on the main aspects of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), a widely used principle of environmental policy, looking through the lens of EU waste law and policy, as this is currently evolving. The main discussion will revolve around the opportunities of moving towards a more effective EPR and adopting more effective policy instruments. Emphasis will be given to the definition of EPR, to its content and to implementation schemes in EU law especially as regards the role of EPR in achieving the challenging targets which exist relating to waste management and product design requirements under the Circular Economy Package, while at the same time highlighting the inter-relationship between waste and product laws.