Commission Delegated Decision (EU) 2019/1597
Commission Delegated Decision (EU) 2019/1597, adopted on 3 May 2019, supplements Directive 2008/98/EC by establishing a harmonized methodology and minimum quality standards for measuring food waste across EU Member States. Its primary aim is to support food waste prevention through consistent and comparable data collection. The decision requires separate measurement of food waste across five key stages of the supply chain: primary production, processing and manufacturing, retail and distribution, restaurants and food services, and households.
The methodology builds on the work of the EU Platform on Food Losses and Food Waste and aligns with the definition of “food” under Regulation (EC) No 178/2002, covering edible and inedible parts if not separated during production, while excluding unharvested crops and by-products suitable for reuse under Directive 2008/98/EC.
This decision underpins the EU’s Circular Economy Action Plan and Sustainable Development Goal 12.3. It is reinforced by Decision (EU) 2022/591, which sets binding targets for food waste reduction by 2030: a 10% reduction in food waste from processing and manufacturing, and a 30% per capita reduction from distribution, food services, and households, both compared to the 2021–2023 baseline. These targets strengthen policy-making and promote efficient, sustainable food resource management across the EU.
Relevance to bio-waste and/or circular bioeconomy:
This decision directly supports the circular bioeconomy by enabling accurate measurement of food waste, a major component of bio-waste. Reliable data helps identify waste hotspots and informs targeted prevention strategies, promoting resource efficiency and reducing environmental impact. By harmonizing reporting across Member States, it facilitates benchmarking and progress tracking toward EU food waste reduction goals, contributing to sustainable food systems and closing nutrient loops.
EU (EEA relevance)
Full title: Commission Delegated Decision (EU) 2019/1597 of 3 May 2019 supplementing Directive 2008/98/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards a common methodology and minimum quality requirements for the uniform measurement of levels of food waste (Text with EEA relevance.)
Publication date: 2019
Instrument type: Delegated Regulation
Binding for EU MS: Yes
Keywords: food waste, measurement methodology, bio-waste, circular bioeconomy, data quality, waste prevention, EU reporting, supply chain stages, resource efficiency, sustainability