21/05/2019 (Agence Europe) – EU legislation that will drastically tackle ocean pollution from single-use plastics products, while promoting the circular economy, was adopted by the Council of the EU on Tuesday 21 May. This European directive was proposed in May 2018. Its provisions, negotiated by Parliament, the Council of the EU, and the Commission, were agreed in December (see EUROPE 12223/4). By 2021, it will ban the ten most common disposable plastic products found on beaches, such as cutlery, straws, plastic cotton buds, but also oxo-degradable plastics and expanded polystyrene cups. It will impose a recycled content target of 25% for plastic bottles by 2025 and 30% by 2030 and an extended producer responsibility system to finance beach collection and clean-up. (AN)