Brussels, 17/12/2014 (Agence Europe) - The Environment Council confirmed in Brussels on Wednesday 17 December the trialogue agreement on the proposal for a directive seeking to reduce consumption in the EU of single-use lightweight plastic bags which are polluting the seas and oceans (see EUROPE 11219, 11204 and 11202).
The Council's joint position will be formalised in the coming months when lawyer-linguists finalise the text that will give member states the option of bringing in charges for these bags by 2018 or reducing average annual consumption to 90 bags per person (compared with 176 currently) by the end of 2019 and to 40 by the end of 2025. (AN)