23/10/2025 (Agence Europe) – On Thursday, 23 October, the European Parliament adopted the regulation that aims to prevent plastic pellets from being lost into the environment after the EU Council approved the provisional agreement on 22 September (see EUROPE 13714/31). The regulation introduces specific requirements for the maritime transport of plastic pellets. The rules will apply to economic operators that handle more than 5 tonnes of plastic pellets in the EU. The overarching objective is to achieve zero losses. It also establishes that companies will be required to implement risk management plans, and it introduces obligations regarding clean-up operations in the event of accidental losses. Currently, between 52,000 and 184,000 tonnes of pellets are released into the environment every year. The regulation still has to be signed by the two co-legislators before it is published in the Official Journal of the European Union. Most of this regulation’s provisions will enter into force two years after the text comes into effect. (FS)