The EU Council decided, on Monday 24 October, to authorise the European Commission to negotiate, on behalf of the EU, a binding international agreement on plastic pollution.
This future agreement will cover the entire life cycle of plastics, from production to disposal, to overcome plastic pollution and the negotiating mandate will be open, as agreed by UN members at the Fifth United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-5) in Nairobi last March (see EUROPE 12902/26).
The EU Council’s decision was adopted without debate in Luxembourg at the meeting of the EU Member States’ environment ministers.
However, it limits the mandate given to the Commission to the areas of exclusive competence of the Union.
In a statement attached to the decision, the Commission contests this restrictive interpretation of its prerogatives, and reserves all its rights, as it had announced on 14 October to the EU27 ambassadors (Coreper) (see EUROPE 13045/6).
In addition, the EU Council gave the green light to the European Commission to open discussions on behalf of the EU on joining the High Ambition Coalition to End Plastic Pollution - discussions that will lead to political commitments (a non-binding international instrument). (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)