Refounding of the PMCB Extended Producer Responsibility Scheme: UNICEM welcomes an awareness of the economic and operational challenges facing the sector

UNICEM welcomes the fact that the Ministry appears to have taken into account the difficulties encountered by stakeholders in the sector since its implementation, as well as the need to streamline and improve its operation. The announced guidelines, aimed in particular at simplifying the system and controlling its costs, address the long-standing concerns of companies that place materials on the market.

In an already constrained economic context, the cost of extended producer responsibility (EPR) is indeed a major issue for the competitiveness of companies in the sector. Any development that improves its efficiency and guarantees its sustainability is therefore essential.

However, UNICEM remains attentive to the concrete modalities of implementation of this reform and reiterates the need to clearly distinguish between categories 1 and 2. The Minister's announcements now call for operational details, essential to fully appreciate the relevance and effectiveness of the solutions adopted by the public authorities.

Finally, UNICEM wishes to reaffirm the mature and structured nature of its sector. The quarrying and construction materials industries rely on already organized, efficient value chains rooted in local communities, fully contributing to circular economy objectives. In this respect, the mineral sector has already achieved the targets set for collection, recovery, and recycling.

UNICEM will continue to work alongside public authorities to build an EPR that is both effective, economically sustainable and adapted to the realities of field actors.