In an article published on August 23, 2018, by news provider Plastics News Europe (PNE), reporter Shahrzad Pourriahi informed about a joint industry statement regarding the European Commission’s (EC) proposal for a EU Directive on single-use plastics (FPF reported). The statement was released on August 22, 2018, by The European Organization for Packaging and the Environment (EUROPEN) and 67 other European and national packaging value chain associations.
The organizations expressed their “reservations about the unprecedented pace at which this proposal has been developed and intends to be adopted, which may impact the overall quality of the adopted Directive.” Further, the signatories are “concerned that fundamental policy principles for Better Regulation, which ensure an efficient transition to a Circular Economy are not reflected in the Commission’s proposal.” They “acknowledge the problem of plastic pollution and are committed to finding solutions.”
The organizations call for 1) “[a] coherent EU policy framework for packaging” that safeguards “the Internal Market for packaged goods,” 2) a directive that “addresses the root causes of marine litter holistically, incentivizes meaningful innovation and interventions and allows sufficient development time from R&D to commercialization,” 3) policies and legislation that “contain clear definitions and are based on a complete, evidence-based impact assessment of the implications, to avoid possible unintended consequences,” and 4) policy measures that are “non-discriminatory and proportionate to the challenges addressed.”
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Shahrzad Pourriahi (August 22, 2018). “EU packaging industry seeks clarifications on new single-use plastics rules.” PNE
EUROPEN (August 22, 2018). “Joint statement from 68 packaging value chain associations on the single-use plastics proposal.”
