Representatives of Europe’s waste oil rerefining industry called on the European Union to help grow the industry with stronger regulations and clearer rules needed to secure long-term investment and advance the bloc’s circular-economy and decarbonization goals.
Demand for higher-quality base stocks, moves to reduce reliance on imported feedstocks and pressure by lawmakers and end users to cut emissions are driving renewed interest in waste oil regeneration, a shift highlighted by the Clean Industrial Deal and the EU’s plan to raise its circularity rate by 2030.
Companies in France, Germany, Greece and Spain are investing in modernizing plants to produce Group II and III stocks and expanding capacity, but industry executives warn that uneven enforcement of the Waste Framework Directive limits progress under existing rules.
The association has proposed regulatory measures such as recognizing RRBO as a strategic product, setting mandatory quotas in lubricant formulations, restricting waste-oil use for energy recovery, improving traceability, and creating carbon-credit incentives. GEIR plans to intensify its engagement with EU institutions as the Circular Economy Act moves toward completion in 2026.
Vice president of the European Rerefining Industry Association (GEIR) Marco Codognola said at a recent conference that the industry is prepared to scale up output but requires consistent implementation of EU waste policy to ensure market stability.
“GEIR stands as a trusted partner in delivering the Green Deal and Clean Industrial Deal objectives,” Codognola said, adding that re-refining supports decarbonization, circularity and resource autonomy.