The scheduled conference — tele-consultation of the Hellenic Competition Commission (HCC) was successfully held on Thursday, November 18, 2021, organized in the framework of the sector inquiry in the sectors of Waste Management and Recycling. The tele-consultation followed the submission of written memoranda by interested companies and other institutions and was designed with the prospect of functioning as an interactive forum for the exchange of views on the relevant markets concerned. The tele-consultation, which took place through the privately owned live-streaming studio in FULL HD quality, is part of the general framework of the Hellenic Competition Commission’s digital campaign reform, based on which the Commission hopes to have more direct contact with both businesses, consumers, and citizens to the benefit of the development of the Greek Economy.

The teleconference was broadcasted live via the Hellenic Competition Commission platform and was attended by many stakeholders, including public bodies, business associations, lawyers and economists, that deal with competition issues.

During the event, which was opened by the Chairman of the Competition Commission, representatives of the wider sector and relevant supervisory bodies made presentations on a wide range of current issues in the markets of recycling and waste management. In particular, the tele-consultation was structured in two thematic categories and further in four sections, a) WASTE MANAGEMENT OF PORTS- PART A, b) WASTE MANAGEMENT OF PORTS- PART B, c) WASTE STREAMS SUPERVISED by EOAN- PART 1, d) WASTE STREAMS SUPERVISED by EOAN- PART 2.

In particular, in the context of the first two thematic areas, i) the institutional framework for the collection of ship-generated waste according to Greek and European legislation, ii) issues related to the responsibilities of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Island Policy, iii) the competition conditions in the relevant markets, and iv) the legal framework for waste management and cargo residues in Greek ports, were discussed and analysed. Representatives of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Island Policy, a port management body, the port association, companies on waste collection service and cargo residues, as well as associations of undertakings active in the passenger shipping and shipbuilding industry, presented their views. Data was also presented on the pricing of specific categories of waste and the number of contractors active in the collection and management of ship waste in Greek and European ports.

In the context of the two following thematic units, of the second thematic category, representatives of the public supervisory body (EOAN), the recycling association, as well as collective alternative management systems of all streams supervised by EOAN, analyzed the evolution of the legal framework governing the recycling industry and the subsectors of EOAN’s alternative management programmes, as well as the competition conditions and problems prevailing in these markets. These alternative management programmes are: (a) Packaging Waste (PW), (b) Waste Lubricating Oil (WLO), (c) Waste Tyres (WT), (d) Waste Electrical Columns (portable, batteries) & Industrial Vehicle Accumulators, e) End-of-Life Vehicles (ELV), (f) Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) and (g) Excavation, Construction and Demolition Waste (ECDW).

Detailed information was also provided on the conditions under which the alternative management streams operate, and the structure of the individual markets.

In the next phase, the HCC will send questionnaires to public and private bodies. The cleaning, processing and evaluation of data will then follow for the preparation of the interim proposal. A second public consultation will then take place before the final report is published. 

You can watch the Tele-consultation video from the website of the HCC here or in the YouTube channel of HCC.