This European benchmarking study begins by outlining the history and foundations of the waste management hierarchy, which has been gradually introduced into European regulations. It then takes stock of how the hierarchy is currently applied in each Member State. A selection of countries is analysed in detail, in terms of the transposition of the Waste Framework Directive, the provisions relating to the hierarchy and the possibilities for derogating from it. The French case is specifically addressed: specificities of the transposition, derogation framework, concrete implications to anticipate for professional waste producers. Two cases of derogation are examined in detail: Germany and the UK. Finally, these case studies lead to lessons to be learned and suggestions for areas of research, focusing in particular on the methods available to justify a derogation for environmental reasons.
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