Food waste reduction targets

The 2025 amendment of the Waste Framework Directive introduced binding food waste reduction targets for Member States to achieve by 2030

Member States are required to take the necessary and appropriate measures to reduce food waste:

• by 10%, in processing and manufacturing, and
• by 30% (per capita), jointly at retail and consumption (restaurants, food services and households).

Reference period

The amount of food waste reduction by 2030 is compared against the amount of food waste generated as an annual average between 2021 and 2023. A Member State can also use 2020 as a reference year, on the basis of the EU harmonised methodology, if the Member State has notified this to the Commission and other Member States.

A Member State may also use data from a year before 2020, provided that:

• the data have been collected using methods comparable to the harmonised EU methodology,
• the Member State has notified this to the Commission and other Member State before 17 April 2027 and provided the data and measurement methods used to collect them and made both publicly available, and
• the Commission does not object to the Member State’s request to use of another reference period.

Tourism correction factor

To support Member States in achieving the 30% target for food waste at retail and consumption level, the Commission is required to establish correction factor to account for increases or decreases in tourism in relation to the reference period, before 17 October 2027.

The objective behind the correction factor is to take into account the tourism flows that may impact the food waste levels, as tourists are not counted as part of the general population in Member States.

Review of targets

To ensure a step-wise approach towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goal Target 12.3 and that Member States delivers to its objectives, the revised Directive includes a review clause. By end 2027, the Commission must conduct a review which includes four key elements:

• an assessment of the targets to be reached by 2030, if appropriate to modify those targets and/or extending them to other stages of the food supply chain (e.g. primary production);
• an assessment of the possibility to introduce legally binding targets to be reached by 2035;
• an assessment of the extent and causes of food waste and losses in primary production and an identification and assessment of feasibility of appropriate levers to reduce such waste and losses; and
• an assessment of the impact of changes in production levels on the achievability of food waste reduction targets set for the processing and manufacturing.