DEVELOPING POLICY INSTRUMENTS FOR LfM

Belgium, Cyprus, Germany, Malta, the Netherlands, Spain
Partners

Cleantech Flanders (BE), Public Waste Agency of Flanders (BE), Department of Environment, Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment (CY), Sanitation Cordoba (ES), Environment and Resources Authority (MT), WasteServ Malta Ltd (MT), Rijkswaterstaat Agency of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Environment (NL)

Contact

Annick Vastiau
Cleantech Flanders
Centrum-Zuid 1111
3530 Houthalen-Helchteren
Belgium

E: annick.vastiau@cleantechflanders.com
T: +32 471 903 636

Visit: www.interregeurope.eu/cocoon

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

COCOON is the first European project on policy of Landfill Management (LfM). The COCOON partners will improve regional policy on LfM in 6 regions, starting from existing regional legislation, and learn from the best practices and lessons learned in the other regions. Working with a regional stakeholder group on the development of the policy will enhance the implementation of the policy.

Europe has been disposing vast levels of waste in landfills. Estimates have revealed that 90% of Europe’s 500,000+ landfills are “non-sanitary” landfills, which predate the EU Landfill Directive and have limited environmental protection technologies. The EC has acknowledged that a vision for managing Europe’s landfills is urgently required.  LfM supports reclaiming land and avoids astronomic remediation and aftercare costs. Although many EU regions are already implementing LfM, no targeted, specific European LfM legislation currently exists. Nor are existing Waste Management and Soil Protection policies integrated in an overarching circular economy framework. Therefore, the COCOON objective is to develop, integrate and improve relevant policy instruments, while increasing subsidies through operational programmes (OPs) for LfM projects. COCOON brings together distinct EU regions to share and capitalise on regional good practices. The six targeted policy instruments include (a) the Soil Remediation Decree in Flanders (BE), the Environmental Protection Act in the Netherlands and (b) funding of LfM projects through the OPs in Andalucia (ES), Brandenburg (DE), Cyprus and Malta. As a result of LfM projects, the recovery of resources (landfill gas and water first, other resources later), as well as land recovery is increased while future environmental hazards can be avoided. LfM projects generate economic development opportunities; create new (local) jobs, all within the context of an EU-wide transition to a resilient, low-carbon, circular economy.

PROJECT GOALS
  • Development of 6 regional action plans for LfM policy.

  • Installation of 6 regional LfM stakeholder groups.

  • Implementation of LfM policy in 6 regions.

FUNDING TYPE: Interreg Europe

BUDGET: € 1.402.343
SUBSIDY: € 1.191.119,55 (from Interreg Europe)

Contact us

Location

Department of Materials Engineering
Kasteelpark Arenberg 44
3001 Leuven, Belgium