International Review of Waste Management Policy - Department of ...

In the implementation of the regulation, a ‘trial and error’ method to determine this
optimal price is clearly not a good system for industry and for the distribution sector
since the sector needs to have sufficient security about the required investments. If
such a trial and error method was to be used, it might be more preferable for this to
be used in the context of targets for behavioural shifts.
Finally, it would be preferable to have an objective basis for the introduction of
ecotaxes. The choice of products has not always been rational, but neither has
opposition to the choice.
30.12 Prerequisites for Introduction
It is important to develop an optimised mix with other instruments like recycling
targets or EPR-mechanisms. There is clearly a ‘mix’ in Belgium, but it is not clear that
this optimised.
Ecotax and the possibility to obtain an exemption on the ecotax can serve as a driving
force for useful industry initiatives. Industry must be offered a possibility to find a
constructive way to avoid the taxes which they probably will not back, instead of the
less constructive ways of policy influencing or lobbying, or the establishment of
evasion techniques (see the example for Coca-Cola in Section 30.10).
It is likely to be useful to clearly explain to industry what the ecotax will be used for.
Full transparency on the way the rates are calculated might also be desirable. Some
stronger rationale for the ecotax would also improve acceptance.
Awareness raising and education are very important factors to create support for the
policy from consumers.
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