final report - JRC IPTS - Sustainable Production and Consumption ...

Quality assurance of the results
The essentials of the questionnaire where collected in tables which where sent to the experts for a final
revision and verification before they were used for the report.
Some principle limitations
In line with previous experience with these types of investigations the authors must admit that the
quality of data and information collected suffers from the fact that systematic statistics on material
flows in many sectors are missing. Also there is a lack of common definitions or understanding of
terms (e.g. biowaste – just to name the most prominent example).
As a result it was not possible to achieve consistent data even on the two most important waste streams
biowaste (source separated organic waste from households and similar installations) and green waste
(garden and park waste) and its treatment.
Therefore it has to be taken into account that a considerable set of data is based on personal
estimations of the experts involved as well as extrapolations from national data where reliable
experience exists.
Due to the fact that compost markets in relation to compost types and classes show a very diffuse
performance in the different MS a quantitative relation between quality classes, compost types and use
types respectively is hardly possible. Consequently an assessment of the potential impact of certain
compost class definitions (criteria, limits) on EU level on specific market sectors or even differentiated
for several compost types cannot be carried out in a distinct manner.
The tasks of the study
The key tasks of the study are listed below:
Task 1: Identify compost classes
Inventory of the relevant compost classes according to the legislation in place in the Member States and
according to the other relevant standards and certification schemes in use.
Task 1.1. Denomination of the compost classes.
Task 1.2. Identification description of the reference legislation, standards, protocols
Task 1.3. Certification schemes or similar, as well as of the geographical validity and use
Task 1.4. Identification of the types of uses for which the compost class is considered to be fit for use
Task 1.5.a Identification of the input materials that may be used to produce compost
Task 1.5.b Description of the technical, health, environment and other criteria or parameter that specify the
compost class, the composting process
Task 1.6. The limit values for these parameters
Task 1.7. Characterisation of required quality assurance provisions
Task 1.8. Clarification of the status of the compost from a waste legislation point of view, reflecting in
particular also the differences across the Member States
Task 1.9. Identification and brief description of other legal provisions applying to compost (e.g. process or
operational requirements).
Task 1.10 Legal provisions applying to the USE of compost in the different countries
Task 2: Quantify the production, import, uses and export of compost
Task 2.1. Amount of compost produced
Task 2.2. Amount of compost imported, preferably quantified separately per country of origin
Task 2.3. Amounts of compost used according to use, type and sector
Task 2.4. Amount of compost exported, preferably quantified separately per destination country
Task 2.5. Amounts of the different input materials used to produce the different compost classes
Task 2.6. The study shall provide also information on the prices in € of the different types of composts for the
different uses.
Task 2.7. In addition to the data for the reference year, trends (e.g strong increase in production or use in
recent years) should be systematically identified and reported.
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COMPOST PRODUCTION AND USE IN THE EU