Page 10 - Waste-to-Energy in the Danube Strategy Region. Challenges and Prospects
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As is evident, the issue of waste in a European context concerns not only energy but also
the environment and the economy. Thus, WtE plays a potential role in several critical areas of EU
policy. In its Energy Union Package (EC 2015), the Commission notes the need to create synergies
between energy efficiency, resource efficiency, and the circular economy. WtE can play a role in
all three areas. Moreover, given that some waste streams may be regarded as renewable sources,
WtE is also relevant for the energy transition. The Renewable Energy Directive (2009/28/CE), for
example, addresses the topic of biomass and biofuels, both of which may use biodegradable waste
as a feedstock. According to the Wolf Theiss report (2016), the new RES target set by the European
Council in October 2014 (27% by 2030) and broader plans for an Energy Union will necessitate a
new Renewable Energy Directive. In this context, the EC identified the following measures of
potential relevance to WtE: reducing emissions in the heating and cooling sector, facilitating
market entry for RES, and increasing the use of RES in transport. Once again, WtE could play a
role in all three.
Project co-funded by the European Union
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