NEWSLETTER-2017

286 NEWSLETTER 2017 Control of Packing Wastes in Turkey and the General Framework of Legislation* Gaye Spolitis Introduction Developments in waste industry offer new opportunities to our country. Official data show that the number of licensed facilities has reached 1143 as of 2016, while it was 28 in 2003. Number of institu- tions authorized in accordance with the environment legislation is 12, including 4 that are for packing wastes. It is observed that a new and extended market is rapidly forming in the area of waste managing. The basis of the legal regulation of control of packing wastes is Regulation of Control of Packing Wastes (“Regulation”) that was published on the Official Gazette numbered 28035 on 24August 2011. The regulation is based on the United Nations Directive on Packing Wastes (“Directive”) dated 20 December 1994 numbered 94/62/EC, as a result of European Union membership process and endeavor of harmonization of our national legislation with the legal acquis of Eu- ropean Union. EU Directive on Packing Wastes (94/62/EC) Objective of the Directive is to harmonize the national measures regarding administration of packing and packing wastes in order to both prevent or lessen the harm of these materials on the environment in all member states and third countries; and enable the functioning of internal markets, remove the barriers before trade and prevent disrup- tion and limitation of the competition in the Union. Directive aims to determine the minimum targets that will be implemented by the * Article of August 2017