The European Commission has further delayed the publication of a major package promoting sustainable consumption and production patterns in Europe. With this latest delay, the package, originally due for unveiling on 20 May, will not be published until the beginning of June, at the earliest.
Reportedly, the disagreement causing the delay involves which products to include in the expansion of the EU's Eco-design Directive, as well as whether they will be binding. Other elements in the package, such as plans to boost green public procurement and to revise the EU's Emas and eco-label schemes, have been broadly agreed upon.
The Environment Committee, led by Stavros Dimas, wants an updated version of the eco-design that would set binding minimum environmental performance standards for a wide range of products, including those that do not use energy directly. However, Andris Piebalgs, the commissioner of the Energy and Transport Committee, and G
