In an article published on January 4, 2019, regulatory news provider Chemical Watch informed that on December 21, 2018, the EU Committee of Regions’ (CoR) published an opinion on the European Commission’s (EC) plastics strategy (FPF reported). The CoR is “an advisory body made up of representatives of local or regional authorities in the EU,” that “issues opinions on proposed legislation and agrees on resolutions for further action by the European Union,” Chemical Watch explained.
The CoR’s opinion concludes that “hazardous substances should be ‘completely removed’ from plastic products by 2025 . . . in order to make all plastic products and packaging recyclable by that date.” Both “innovation and investment” play an important role in enabling “social and behavioral changes needed for the transition to a circular economy as a crucial step towards implementing the UN Sustainable Development Goals at EU, national, regional and local level.” Further, the CoR “argues that energy recovery is preferable to landfill,” and suggests that “in the short term” the unrecyclable plastic waste as well as plastic waste containing hazardous substances should be processed by waste-to-energy plants.
In December 2019, the European Commission (EC) informed that the publication of the EU’s non-toxic environment strategy will be delayed until the new office takes place after 2019 elections (FPF reported). Nonetheless, under the 7th Environment Action Programme, the EC “is legally obliged to release its [non-toxic environment] strategy this year” still, Chemical Watch reminded. Further, already in January 2019 the EC is “due to publish a communication . . . on the interface between chemical, product and waste legislation” (FPF reported).
Read more
Chemical Watch (January 4, 2018). “Remove hazardous substances in plastics by 2025, EU body says.”
Reference
Committee of Regions (December 21, 2018). “Opinion of the European Committee of the Regions – Communication on a European Strategy for Plastics in a circular economy.” Official Journal of the European Union C 461/30 (pdf)
