WAREG seeks a research partner for the study “Research on extended producer responsibility schemes in Europe: lessons and recommendations for their application in the wastewater sector.” Interested candidates must submit their application by email to secretariat@wareg.org.
Scope of this proposal
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is a policy approach that assigns producers financial and organisational responsibility for the post‑consumer stage of their products’ life‑cycle. While widely applied to municipal waste streams across the European Union, it is a new requirement in the urban wastewater domain. Article 9 of the revised Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive (Directive 2024/3019/EU) obliges Member States to put in place, by 31 December 2028, EPR schemes ensuring that producers of medicinal and cosmetic products cover at least 80 % of the additional costs of quaternary treatment aimed at removing micropollutants.
WAREG – the Association of European Water Regulators – seeks a research partner with proven expertise in EPR design, circular‑economy economics and water‑sector regulation to analyse existing EPR models and develop recommendations for their effective transposition to the wastewater sector.
Expected deliverables
- A comprehensive paper on “Applying EPR to Urban Wastewater: regulatory options, economic models and implementation roadmap” (final title to be defined) to be edited and finalised by 31 March 2026.
- An interim slide deck summarising preliminary table of contents for presentation to WAREG Members in October 2025.
- A presentation of the main observations and preliminary recommendations at the European Forum on the Regulation of Water Services, Brussels (December 2025).
- Participation in 2 or more internal workshops organised by WAREG and ad‑hoc consultations with WAREG members.
Scope of the study
The research must cover the most relevant case studies in EU Member States (and if useful a sample of best practices in non‑EU countries). This would include a minimum of 7 WAREG EU members who deal with waste (GR, HU, IT, LT, LV, PT, RO) plus, at least, other 6 big EU markets (DE, ES, FR, NL, PL, SE).
The characterisation of these markets should encompass the main EPR schemes implemented and those with bigger similarities with the urban wastewater services. The concrete definition of the case studies to analyse will be decided in a joint work of WAREG and the consultants.
The work includes engaging the following stakeholder groups: competent ministries and agencies, economic regulators, producer‑responsibility organisations (PROs), local authorities, wastewater utilities, and industry representatives from the pharmaceutical and cosmetic sectors.
Main questions to be addressed in the research
- What institutional architectures do current municipal‑waste EPR schemes adopt across the EU, and how are responsibilities distributed among producers, PROs and regulators?
- Which economic and financial models are employed (modulated fees, deposit‑return systems, compliance financing, competitive vs. monopoly PROs), and what cost‑recovery outcomes have been observed?
- What environmental and socio‑economic results (collection rates, recycling rates, fee levels) have municipal‑waste EPR schemes achieved, and what factors drive performance?
- Which design features are transferable to the wastewater sector for pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, and which require adaptation due to sector‑specific characteristics (e.g. tariff regulation, CAPEX financing of treatment upgrades)?
- How can cost allocation be structured to guarantee that producers bear ≥ 80 % of quaternary‑treatment costs while maintaining tariff affordability for consumers?
- What governance and monitoring tools should regulatory authorities deploy (licensing conditions, KPIs, audits, penalties/rewards) to ensure transparent and efficient EPR operation in wastewater services?
- What timeline, milestones and interim targets should Member States adopt to meet the 31 December 2028 obligation, and what transitional funding or risk‑sharing mechanisms might be required?
- How can confidentiality concerns around commercially sensitive data be addressed while safeguarding regulatory oversight and public accountability?
Information and qualifications required in the application
Team composition
At least two senior researchers, preferentially with a minimum of five years’ experience in waste‑management EPR or water‑sector regulation; holding a PhD and complementary expertise in environmental economics and EU law is highly valued.
Organisational eligibility
Individual or joint applications from universities, research institutes, think‑tanks or consultancies within or outside the EU.
Track record
Demonstrable publication record on EPR, circular economy or water regulation; proven capability to conduct EU‑wide stakeholder consultations and comparative policy analysis.
Operational capacity
Ability to deliver within the budget ceiling of EUR 56 000 (all taxes and travelling included) and to participate in at least 1 online meeting per month and two (2) in‑person events, until the end of the contract.
- Deadline for applications: 1 August 2025
- Evaluation of offers and selection: by 31 August 2025
- Contract award: by 8 September 2025
- Interim presentation to WAREG Members: by 29 October 2025
- Preliminary draft report due: 14 November 2025
- Presentation of preliminary findings at European Forum on Water Regulation: 4 December 2025
- Redrafting of the report after consultation with WAREG members – 28 February 2026
- Final editing of the report due by: 31 March 2026
Application
Interested candidates must submit the following documents by e‑mail to secretariat@wareg.org:
- Motivation letter demonstrating compliance with the eligibility criteria above.
- Method statement outlining the proposed approach, data sources, stakeholder‑engagement plan and timeline.
- Detailed economic quotation not exceeding EUR 56 000 (breakdown of fees and reimbursables).
- CVs of the proposed team members and a list of relevant publications.
Awarding Criteria
Total score: 100 points
- Methodology and approach – 40 points
- Clarity and structure of the proposed research method
- Feasibility of the proposed timeline and work plan
- Quality of stakeholder engagement strategy
- Team expertise and qualifications – 30 points
- Relevant experience of the team in EPR, water regulation or circular economy
- Balance and complementarity of profiles
- Academic and professional background
- Value for money – 20 points
- Reasonableness and transparency of the budget
- Efficiency in use of resources to deliver expected outputs
- Understanding of the assignment – 10 points
- Awareness of policy context and project objectives
- Relevance of the proposal to the goals of WAREG and the UWWTD
Evaluation Jury Composition:
- Vice-President of WAREG, who will chair the Working Group
- 2 members of WAREG
- 1 representative from the WAREG Secretariat (non-voting, for administrative coordination)
Confidentiality
WAREG members may provide confidential data to the consultant. Such data may be used solely for internal analyses and presentations to WAREG and may not be published, disseminated to third parties or reused in other studies without explicit written consent.