Landfill Directive

Reducing reliance on landfill is a core EU delivery mechanism for achieving circular economy outcomes. The EU implements this transition through the Landfill Directive (1999/31/EC)¹, which sets strict conditions on landfill operation and requires a progressive shift away from disposal towards recycling and recovery. The Directive supports this objective through requirements on waste pre-treatment, landfill diversion targets, closure of illegal dumpsites, and the use of economic instruments, such as landfill taxes, to discourage disposal-based waste management.

Extractive Industry Waste Management

Directive 2006/21/EC on the management of waste from extractive industries² establishes measures to prevent or minimise adverse environmental and human health effects arising from the management of waste from mining, quarrying, and mineral treatment operations. The directive aligns with broader EU environmental protection goals and international commitments to sustainable development. Circularity in the extractive sector is increasingly linked to the EU’s strategic focus on secondary raw materials, resource security and industrial resilience. Industry stakeholders are increasingly prioritising secondary raw materials (SRMs) to improve supply security, reduce energy consumption, and reduce waste generation. The optimisation of SRM utilisation requires full compliance with the Waste Framework Directive 2008/98/EC³ and Directive 2006/21/EC on extractive waste management⁴. Technological innovation, including advancements linked to EU mechanisms such as the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM)⁵, is beginning to transform conventional mining practices.

In 2024, the EU introduced the Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA)⁶ to secure access to strategic materials vital for industrial activities and subject to supply risk. This legislation aligns with the Green Deal Industrial Plan⁷ and the proposed Net Zero Industry Act⁸, aiming to enhance domestic mining, processing, and recycling capacity while diversifying import sources. The EU has launched a Call for Expression of Interest⁹ to attract private investment in the region, including support for environmentally responsible access to critical raw materials, in line with the Western Balkans Growth Plan and the Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF)¹⁰.