An exchange of views regarding progress made on the global plastics treaty took place at the European Parliament on Thursday 3 October, during the meeting of the Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (see EUROPE 13190/14). The resolution to develop a legally binding international instrument on plastic pollution was adopted in February 2022.
The European Commission and the United Nations were represented to explain the progress made in negotiations to MEPs. The aim is to reach agreement at the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC 5), scheduled for 25 November to 1 December 2024 in Busan, South Korea.
“More than 500 million tonnes of plastic will be produced this year, with a high risk of ending up in the environment”, warned Laura Anès of the United Nations. Pointing out that this treaty is not against plastic, she said that priority should be given to global action throughout its life cycle, rather than seeing recycling “as a panacea”.
Concluding the Treaty at INC 5 is challenging but the EU is still committed to achieving it, according to the European Commission, which has stated its support for an ambitious text. The Commission went over the initiatives on plastics already taken at European level (the directive on single-use plastics, the regulation on plastic waste, the regulation on the transport of waste) in order to present the EU as a credible partner.
Concerns remain among some stakeholders. According to the Commission, they fall into three categories: emerging economies (India, Brazil) support in principle the ambition of a treaty covering the entire life cycle of plastics, but fear harmonised rules at global level; polymer producers (China), who are also major exporters of manufactured goods, fear the impact that restrictions could have on their processing industry; and finally, those who are concerned about the reduction in polymer production, as they seek alternatives to the fossil fuels used in their economies (Saudi Arabia, Iran, Russia). These countries prefer the treaty to focus on waste management.
MEPs encouraged the European Commission to be ambitious. We must “show the way” (Sara Matthieu, Greens/EFA, Belgian) and “play a leading role” (Rasmus Nordqvist, Greens/EFA, Danish). Ms Matthieu took the opportunity to point out that “plastic production is expected to triple by 2050” and that “most plastics are single use“. (Original version in French by Florent Servia)