Towards Osaka Blue Ocean Vision - G20 Implementation Framework for Actions on Marine Plastic Litter

The European Union

Actions and Progress on Marine Plastic Litter
Last Update : 2024/09/18

 

Policy Framework

National Action Plan

Name(Year):
● EU Strategy for Plastics in a Circular Economy (2018)

Brief description:
Emphasis on prevention of litter from both land- and sea-based sources is the cornerstone of EU policies against plastic pollution of the ocean and the seas. Clean-up actions can be meaningful when litter accumulations create serious risks for marine or coastal biodiversity and habitats or negative socioeconomic effects. The EU is furthermore committed to close collaboration with its neighbours within the four Regional Seas Conventions around Europe and with other non-EU countries in global fora such as the UN, G20 and G7.

The EU Strategy for Plastics in a Circular Economy (2018) is the first EU-wide policy framework adopting a material-specific life-cycle approach integrating design, use, reuse and recycling. It also aims at increasing the uptake of alternative materials where evidence clearly shows that they are more sustainable compared to the ones based on fossil resources. This supports efforts on decarbonisation and creating additional opportunities for growth. As part of the Strategy, the EU adopted the Single-Use Plastic Directive (2019), targeting the top 10 single-use plastic products most often found on Europe’s beaches and seas as well as fishing gear containing plastics and the Port Reception Facilities Directive (2019), aiming to properly collect waste generated by ships, including passively fished waste from fishing vessels and waste fishing gear.

The EU’s new approach for a sustainable lue economy (2021) and the EU’s International Ocean Governance Agenda (2022) also aim at achieving zero pollution and reducing waste in the marine environment.

In preparation

Name: Circular Economy Act

Brief description: In her Political Guidelines, the European Commission President-elect Ursula von der Leyen announced a new Circular Economy Act to contribute to creating market demand for secondary materials and a single market for waste1.

1: Ursula von der Leyen calls for a more circular and resilient economy | European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform (europa.eu)

 

Legal Framework

Name:
● Legislation on waste and Marine Strategy Framework Directive (2008)

Brief description:
The EU’s long tradition of legislation on waste (starting in the 1970s and over the years developed into a comprehensive body of legislation) plays an important role in preventing marine litter. As part of the shift towards a circular economy, an important review of the waste legislation took place and the ensuing legislative proposals adopted in 2018 introduced the world’s most ambitious waste-management targets and strengthened provisions on waste prevention. Today EU’s waste policy includes:

  • Horizontal legislation setting the main definitions and principles
  • Laws on how waste should be treated
  • Legislation on specific products or so-called waste streams (many of which will be further modernised in the years to come)

The Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD, 2008/56/EC) was the first EU legal instrument to explicitly address marine litter; it requires “Good Environmental Status” for marine litter to be achieved by 2020, i.e. that “properties and quantities of marine litter do not cause harm to the coastal and marine environment”. Assessment of the status, target setting, monitoring, reporting and implementation of measures related to marine litter and microlitter are carried out in accordance with relevant MSFD provisions and have been further specified within a Decision by the European Commission (2017/848/EU).
The Commission assessment of the measures submitted by the EU Member States was published in July 2018 2 ; in 2020 the Commission published a report on MSFD implementation3 and in 2023 its assessment of monitoring programmes, including for marine litter4 . MSFD activities against marine litter are supported by the MSFD Technical Group on Marine Litter5 , chaired by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre and Spain, bringing together experts from Member States, Regional Sea Conventions, NGOs, umbrella organisations and scientific project leads. It acts as an advisory group to the policy process and links science with policy, providing guidance and recommendations on relevant issues such as monitoring methodologies, harm caused by marine litter and sources of marine litter. Importantly, it has been tasked to develop baseline quantities and threshold values for marine litter and microlitter pursuant to the abovementioned Commission Decision.
In September 2020, EU Member States agreed on a beach litter threshold value of 20 items per 100 m of beach; MSFD monitoring data show a significant downward trend for coastline litter quantities in comparison to 2016 (report to be published in autumn 2024). More threshold values in relation to marine litter and microlitter (including microplastics) are being developed, notably for seafloor litter and for floating litter and microlitter.

The MSFD is being reviewed, and it might be amended, resulting in more concrete and quantified targets and thresholds related to marine litter, including plastic marine litter and microplastics. The updated Commission assessment of the measures submitted by the EU Member States, as well an MSFD evaluation report could be published in 2024.
Other legal EU instruments that help tackle marine litter include the Directive on Port Reception Facilities for the delivery of waste from ships (2019), the Single-Use Plastic Directive focusing on most frequently found marine litter (including fishing gear containing plastic) (2019), and the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive, under review, also aiming to better capture microplastics in wastewater treatment.

As a follow-up of the Single-Use Plastic Directive, the Commission also adopted a decision on a standardization request to the European Committee for Standardisation as regards circular design of fishing gear (2021) and a decision laying down the format for reporting data and information on fishing gear placed on the market and waste fishing gear collected in Member States (2021). The six harmonised standards for a circular design of fishing gear to prepare for its reuse, repair and recycling will be delivered by the end of November 2024.

The European Commission also adopted a Zero Pollution Action Plan in May 2021 where, among other things, includes a target of reducing by 50% plastic litter at sea and of 30% micro plastics released into the environment by 2030; one of this Plan’s flagships is to reduce marine litter through EU threshold values to be set under the MSFD.

In preparation

name: Proposal for a Regulation on Plastic Pellets Losses
Brief description:
In October 2023, a proposal for a Regulation on plastic pellets losses to reduce microplastic pollution was adopted by the European Commission. This proposal is currently under discussion. Once adopted (2025), all stages of the pellet supply chain will have to handle pellets according to the rules and requirements set in the Regulation. Pellet losses are the 3rd largest source of unintentional microplastic pollution in Europe.

name: Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR)
Brief description:
In October 2023, a proposal for a Regulation on plastic pellets losses to reduce microplastic pollution was adopted by the European Commission. This proposal is currently under discussion. Once adopted (2025), all stages of the pellet supply chain will have to handle pellets according to the rules and requirements set in the Regulation. Pellet losses are the 3rd largest source of unintentional microplastic pollution in Europe.

name: Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR)
Brief description:
The new Packaging and Packaging Regulation has been provisionally agreed by the co-legislators in April 2024 and is expected to receive a final approval towards the end of the year. The new EU rules on packaging and packaging waste will focus on both packaging design and packaging waste management to address environmental issues from the circular economy perspective, while striving for removal of barriers to the functioning of the internal market for packaging and packaged products. Thus, packaging on the EU market shall meet specific requirements on design for packaging minimization, reduction of substances of concern, recyclability, reuse, recycled content in plastic packaging, and compostability. The new Regulation keeps and reinforces the provisions related to the reduction of lightweight plastic carrier bags by setting a clear EU-level target on their consumption and by banning – at EU level – all very lightweight plastic carrier bags unless they are required for hygiene reasons or provided as primary packaging for loose food when this helps to prevent food waste.

2: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:52018DC0562&from=EN

3: Report on the implementation of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (europa.eu)

4: https://environment.ec.europa.eu/system/files/2023-04/C_2023_2203_F1_COMMUNICATION_FROM_COMMISSION_EN_V5_P1_2532109.PDF

5: MSFD Technical Group on Marine Litter (europa.eu)

 

Indicators and/or Targets

  1. ■ Plastic recycling
    Indicators:
    Targets (if any): 77% separate collection target for plastic bottles by 2025 – increasing to 90% by 2029 & incorporating 25% of recycled plastic in PET beverage bottles from 2025, and 30% in all plastic beverage bottles from 20306. As of 1st January 2025, EU Member States shall set up national annual collection targets for waste fishing gear for recycling.
    In order to ensure more and better-quality recycling and prevent littering, the new Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation contains also an obligation on Member States to set up Deposit and Return Systems for plastic bottles and metal cans of up to 3 litters. To help consumers sort their waste properly, the new Regulation contains the basis for a full harmonization of waste sorting labels. Finally, the Regulation encourages refill in the take-away sector for beverages and foods by obliging final distributors to allow consumers to bring their own containers to be filled and by obliging them to give consumers the option of obtaining the goods in re-usable packaging at no higher cost.
  2. ■ Plastic use reduction:
    Indicators:
    Targets (if any): The Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation contains targets requiring Member States to reduce packaging waste by 5% by 2030 with reference to year 2018 as the base-year; the targets gradually increase reaching 15% by 20407.
    The Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation contains reuse targets in certain sectors (transport packaging, beverages) applicable directly on economic operators, and packaging bans on: (a) on single-use plastic packaging for unprocessed fresh fruit and vegetables, (b) on single-use plastic packaging for foods and beverages filled an consumed withing the premises, (c) on single-use plastic packaging for condiments, preserves, sauces, coffee creamer, sugar, etc, and (d) on single-use packaging in the accommodation sector.
  3. ■ Plastic to alternatives, such as glass, paper or bioplastics:
  4. ■ Plastic leakage:
    Indicators:
    A target threshold value for beach litter (i.e. 20 litter items/100 m of coastline), has been established in 2020 (see the JRC Technical Report on A European Threshold Value and Assessment Method for Macro Litter on Coastlines), which is estimated to reduce harm from beach litter to a sufficiently precautionary level.
  5. ■ Others:
    Indicators:
    In the new Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, Member States shall incentivize restaurants to serve their customers tap water, where available, free of charge.

6: Single-use plastics - European Commission (europa.eu)

7: New EU rules to reduce, reuse and recycle packaging | News | European Parliament (europa.eu)

 

Technical Standards, Guidelines and Methodologies

Topics:
■ Others:

Brief description:
A Joint list of litter categories has been developed, so that collected data are recorded in a harmonised way. The harmonized EU monitoring guidelines were updated in 20238 .

8: Guidance on the monitoring of marine litter in European seas - Publications Office of the EU (europa.eu)

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Measures

Measures across Value Chain
  • Actions for encouraging sustainable / circular product design
  • Policy actions for encouraging plastic alternatives, recycled materials at production stage.
  • Steps taken towards restricting microplastics in products.
  • Reduce single-use plastic (shopping bags, straws etc.) by regulations or voluntary measures
  • Introduce Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)
  • Improve waste management and recycling system
  • Promoting plastic waste re-use, recycling and recovery opportunities
  • Install capturing trap/filter on drainage/river
  • Conduct clean-up activities in rivers/ wetlands/ beaches/ coasts/ coral reefs/ sea floor, involving local communities involving local communities
    • Product Specific Measures: ALDFG
  • Taken/to be taken National Level Action and/or Community Level Action on Clean sea initiatives including ghost net retrieval, ocean-bound plastics etc.
  • Taken actions for preventing abandoned, lost and discarded fishing gear (ALDFG) being generated.
  • Created/creating collection/recycling mechanism for ALDFG
    • Partnership and Innovation
  • Boost multi-stakeholder involvement and awareness-raising
  • Encourage/ Incentivize action by private sector companies to reduce/ sustainably manage their plastic waste.
  • Encourage public awareness on MPL issues through formal education system and/or curriculum for
  • Promote innovative solutions through Research & Development
    • Monitoring, Data Management, Understanding Flow of Plastics/MPL
  • Conduct Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of plastic products. What are the challenges if LCA is not conducted?
  • Conduct Material Flow Analysis (MFA) on plastics. What are the challenges if MFA is not conducted?
  • Conduct monitoring / estimation / scientific research on leakage of plastics/microplastics to the natural environment and/or flow of ocean surface. What are the challenges if these actions are not conducted?
    • International Collaboration
  • Participate in international cooperation through international
  • Support target region by your international cooperation initiatives/projects: South, Central and Southeast Asia

    • Measures across Value Chain
    Actions for encouraging sustainable / circular product design (example: improved durability, reparability, recyclability, reduction of material use per product…etc.) Yes

    Specific Measures:
    The Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation enters into force in July 2024 and aims to improve the circularity, energy performance and other environmental sustainability aspects of products placed on the EU market. This instrument will enable targeted ecodesign rules (covering both performance and information requirements) to be laid down for a very wide range of products on the EU market, to make them more durable, reparable, recyclable, increase recycled content and make them more energy and resource efficient, amongst many other things. It also introduces other tools, including measures to prevent the destruction of unsold consumer goods. Priority products and areas for action will be set out in multiannual working plans.

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    Policy actions for encouraging plastic alternatives, recycled materials at production stage. Yes

    Specific Measures:
    ■ Use of biodegradable plastics
    Brief description:
    The 2022 EC Policy framework on biobased, biodegradable and compostable plastics clarified the role these plastics can play in a sustainable and circular economy. In particular, it clarified the opportunities and challenges of these plastics as well as the conditions to be met for these plastics to make a genuine contribution to sustainability and a circular economy.

    Steps taken towards restricting microplastics in products. Yes

    Specific Measures:
    Targeted Products
    ■ Cosmetics and Personal Care Products
    ■ Others (Please specify: detergents and cleaning products, fertilisers, medical devices, infill materials)

    Brief description (Please provide explanation for each targeted product selected):
    The Regulation on microplastics intentionally added to products restricts microplastics intentionally added to products, e.g. in cosmetics paints, detergents, fertilisers, artificial infill for synthetic turfs. The European Chemicals Agency reviewed the scientific basis for considering a restriction under REACH and concluded that “health & environmental risks justify an EU-wide restriction”. ECHA scientific committees assessed the measure and adopted their opinion. The EU-wide restriction covers intentionally added microplastics in multiple applications including agriculture, horticulture, cosmetic products, paints, coatings, detergents, maintenance products, infill material in artificial turfs, medical and pharmaceutical applications. The definition of microplastics used in the restriction is broad in scope, covering all synthetic particles measuring less than five millimetres that are organic, insoluble and resist (bio)degradation.

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    Reduce single-use plastic (shopping bags, straws etc.) by regulations or voluntary measures (such as ban, levy, others) Yes

    Directive on single-use plastics

    ■ Regulatory Measures (ex: production ban, Ban on use..etc)
    Brief Description: Where sustainable alternatives are easily available and affordable (e.g. cotton bud sticks, cutlery, plates, straws, stirrers, and sticks for balloons), single-use plastic products cannot be placed on the market.

    ■ Economic Measures (levy, tax, subsidies…etc.)
    Brief Description: Charge for single-use plastic products

    ■ Informational Measures (guideline, standards…etc.)
    Brief Description: The EU is focusing on limiting the use for single-use plastic products through reducing consumption through awareness-raising measures and through introducing labelling requirements to inform consumers about the plastic content of products, disposal options that are to be avoided, and harm done to nature if the products are littered in the environment.

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    Introduce Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Yes

    Specific Measures:

    Targeted Products The Waste Framework Directive lays down rules for EPR. EPR is included in various EU legislation and applies to various domains, such as on single-use plastics and waste.
    Nature of Responsibility ■ Financial responsibility
    ■ Operational responsibility
    -
    Modality Mandatory EPR
    ■ Product take back     		Voluntary EPR
    -
    Eco-modulation
    (if applicable)
    		 -
    Performance indicators
    		 -
    Brief Description

    The new Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation also sets clear obligations on extended producer responsibility, obliging producers to register in every Member State where they make packaging or packaged products available on the market for the first time. Member States are obliged to set up inter-connected producer registers.
    Improve waste management and recycling system Yes

    Specific Measures:
    EU Waste Framework Directive
    In relation to waste management, the EU Member States have implemented effective separate (household) collection schemes and have built in economic incentives for better waste treatment (e.g. landfill/ incineration charges) as well as Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes.

    In May 2018, the EU revised its waste legislation to make it fit for the future. In the context of the prevention of waste, the revised EU Waste Framework Directive requires Member States to identify products that are the main sources of littering, notably in natural and marine environment, and take appropriate measures to prevent and reduce litter from such products. The Directive also requires Member States to develop and support information campaigns to raise awareness about waste prevention and littering. In the future, Member States management plans will have to contain measures to combat and prevent all forms of littering and to clean up all types of litter. With regard to enforcement, they are required to take the necessary measures to prohibit the abandonment, dumping or uncontrolled management of waste, including littering.
    Promoting plastic waste re-use, recycling and recovery opportunities -
    Install capturing trap/filter on drainage/river -
    Conduct clean-up activities in rivers/ wetlands/ beaches/ coasts/ coral reefs/ sea floor, involving local communities involving local communities Yes

    Specific Measures:
    Every year, since 2018, the EU, in partnership with the UN, organises an ocean-activism and awareness-raising campaign - #EUBeachCleanup – featuring beach, river banks, and various clean-up events across the world.

    On the occasion of World Clean-up Day in September 2018, some 50 EU delegations and representations joined NGOs, embassies, schools and volunteer networks to organise beach clean activities across the world. A year later, over 80 countries took part in the #EUBeachCleanup campaign. Such activities took also place in 2020 and 2021.
    In 2023, 45,700 participants took part in 555 events, in 44 countries across all inhabited continents9.

    9: EU beach cleanup - European Commission (europa.eu)

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    Product Specific Measures: ALDFG
    Taken/to be taken National Level Action and/or Community Level Action on Clean sea initiatives including ghost net retrieval, ocean-bound plastics etc. Yes

    Specific Measures:
    The EU supports “Fishing for litter” projects that aim to reduce marine litter by involving one of the key stakeholders, the fishing industry. Fishing boats are given big bags to collect the plastics, ghost gear and other debris that gathers in their nets during normal fishing activities. When the fishing boats come into port, they can unload the bags of litter. These bags are collected regularly and the rubbish is recycled or disposed of on land.10

    10: Learn more (fishingforlitter.org)
    Taken actions for preventing abandoned, lost and discarded fishing gear (ALDFG) being generated. Yes

    Specific Measures:
    Commission Implementing Decision of 10.2.2021 on a standardization request to the European Committee for Standardisation as regards circular design of fishing gear in support of Directive (EU) 2019/904
    The standard for circular design of fishing gear should provide the level playing field for organizations to develop higher quality and lower environmental impact fishing gear that is easily reused, repaired, re-manufactured, and recycled at the end-of-life stage, and should provide organizations the opportunity to act sustainably for healthier planet.
    The deadline to deliver the standard for circular design of fishing gear is set for 30th November 2024.

    The recently revised EU Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009 establishing a control system for ensuring compliance with the rules of the Common Fisheries Policy (2023/2842)11 , requires European Union fishing vessels to have the equipment on board to retrieve lost gear and, report any lost gear by the fishing vessel electronically in the logbook. It requires EU Member States to collect and record the information concerning lost gear and the measures undertaken and report to the European Commission on request. The revised Regulation calls the Commission to develop secondary legislation which implies revision of the Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 404/2011 of 8 April 2011 which lays down detailed rules for the implementation of Council Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009, such secondary legislation includes detailed rules on the marking of fishing gear and related reporting requirements, including retrieval and reporting of lost gear which is embedded after the revision within.

    11: Regulation - 1224/2009 - EN - EUR-Lex (europa.eu)

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    Created/creating collection/recycling mechanism for ALDFG -
    Partnership and Innovation
    Boost multi-stakeholder involvement and awareness-raising Yes

    Specific Measures:
    Plastics Circularity Multiplier Group
    Twenty innovation projects teamed up to support the EU efforts to steer the plastics industry into the circular economy. The recently formed Plastics Circularity Multiplier Group will share resources and expertise to enhance the impact of the projects receiving funding from the EU’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation funding programme. More specifically, the Plastics Circularity Multiplier group will communicate to policymakers, the public and industry on a range of EU-funded innovations on plastics.

    Awareness raising campaign
    The European Commission launched an awareness raising campaign to highlight the role of citizens in combatting plastic pollution and marine litter. Together with the United Nations Environment Programme and other partners, the Commission coordinates a global network of aquariums to raise public awareness about plastic pollution. Leading by example, the European Commission has also phased out all single-use plastic cups in water fountains and vending machines in all its buildings and at all meetings.
    The EU not only finances dedicated projects focused on awareness-raising but also requires dissemination and communication activities in almost all EU-funded projects against litter. (See also the Beach clean-up day as described in section 3.1.9.)
    Encourage/ Incentivize action by private sector companies to reduce/ sustainably manage their plastic waste. Yes

    Specific Measures:
    European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform
    The European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform is a joint initiative of the European Commission and the European Economic and Social Committee. It is an online platform to exchange best practices, knowledge and strategies to accelerate the transition towards the circular economy. As a place for knowledge, the platform features different contributions from stakeholders: good practices, national, regional and local strategies, studies and reports on the Circular Economy and commitments. In the section "good practices", stakeholders are able to submit directly their experiences to the platform. The sections on national, regional, and local strategies, on knowledge and on voluntary commitments feature examples of the type of contribution we wish to collect. Many projects and initiatives on plastics, including their alternatives, can be found in the Platform’s database, which is being continuously updated.

    Encourage public awareness on MPL issues through formal education system and/or curriculum for Yes

    Specific Measures:
    Network of European Blue Schools
    The Network of European Blue Schools is an initiative of EU4Ocean, the European Ocean Coalition that connects diverse organisations, projects and people contributing to ocean literacy and the sustainable management of the ocean. EU4Ocean is the place where new ideas and joint actions come to life to make a bigger change. Supported by the European Commission, this bottom-up inclusive initiative aims at uniting the voices of Europeans to make the ocean a concern of everyone.

    This Network of European Blue Schools aims to inspire teachers, school directors or staff of education services, to challenge their students, from kindergarten, primary, lower and upper secondary, technical or vocational schools, to develop a “Find the blue” project that links them to the ocean or the sea. By successfully completing the project and sharing its results, schools will receive the European Blue School label.

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    Promote innovative solutions through Research & Development (e.g., subsidy program, investment fund etc.) Yes

    Specific Measures:
    EU Research and Innovation
    Through the EU Research and Innovation Programmes Horizon 2020 (2014-2020) the European Union has funded a number of projects to prevent marine litter and reduce its impact as well as to increase its knowledge base and inform citizens, for example
    CLAIM, GOJELLY, TOPIOS, SeaChange, ResponSeable, EUROqCHARM, SEALIVE, Bio-Plastics Europe, MAELSTROM, In-No-Plastic, and LABPLAS.

    In the new Research and Innovation Programme (2021-2027), Horizon Europe, specific area for research on seas, the ocean and inland waters, and a dedicated Mission ‘Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030', are envisaged for strengthening knowledge and understanding in order to protect, restore and sustainably manage marine, inland and coastal ecosystems and prevent pollution, including marine litter. With its systemic approach, the Mission ‘Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030' will address ocean and waters as one and play a key role in achieving climate neutrality and restoring nature by reducing plastic litter at sea, nutrient losses and the use of chemical pesticides and by making the blue economy climate-neutral and circular with zero-net maritime emissions. In the Mission work programme 2022 there are specific topics supporting the fight against pollution through research and innovation, namely:

    • Actions to prevent, minimise and remediate chemical pollution, with a focus on the Mediterranean basin (indicative budget EUR 16 million);
    • Prevent and eliminate litter, plastics and micro-plastics: Innovative solutions for waste-free European rivers (indicative budget EUR 10 million)
    • Marine litter and pollution – Smart and low environmental impact fishing gears (indicative budget EUR 10 million)

    Moreover, through the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF), the EU can finance projects to prevent and fight marine litter, supporting concrete methodologies and technologies for reducing the volume and harmfulness of sea-based sources of marine litter and for collecting and removing it in an environmentally sound and efficient way. Member States can also support investments in port facilities to separately collect and treat waste from ships, including fishing gear and passively fished waste.

    Projects financed under the previous programming period (2014-2020) are, for example:
    MarGnet (http://www.margnet.eu)
    AQUA-LIT (https://aqua-lit.eu/)
    NetTag (http://net-tag.eu)
    BLUENET (https://www.bluenetproject.eu/)
    OCEANETS (http://oceanets.eu/).

    Monitoring, Data Management, Understanding Flow of Plastics/MPL
    Conduct Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of plastic products. What are the challenges if LCA is not conducted? -
    Conduct Material Flow Analysis (MFA) on plastics. What are the challenges if MFA is not conducted? -
    Conduct monitoring / estimation / scientific research on leakage of plastics/microplastics to the natural environment and/or flow of ocean surface.
    What are the challenges if these actions are not conducted?     		-
    International Collaboration
    Participate in international cooperation through international organizations, multi-national groups, etc. Yes

    Specific Measures:
    Around the EU, the four Regional Sea Conventions (in Mediterranean, Northeast Atlantic, Baltic and the Black Sea) developed and implemented, with EU technical and financial support, plans against marine litter.
    The EU finances projects in its Neighbourhood that provide technical assistance to stakeholders, and promotes regional cooperation (Mediterranean and Black Sea) and the Commission services are working on large projects that will contribute to marine litter reduction internationally, for example in Southeast Asia. For instance, the Indonesia Policy Dialogue Fund, supported by the EU with EUR 6.3 million, has a programme focused on the reduction of marine debris .
    The EU plays a central role to achieve international decision-making on trans-boundary movements of most plastic waste subject to the controls of the Basel Convention; new rules entered into force in 2021; they will improve controls on exports and imports of plastic waste. Countries on the receiving end will be able to refuse foreign shipments of mixed and unsorted plastic waste. It is important to stress that the EU has stricter rules than the Basel Convention: this means that, from 2021, it will be prohibited for the EU to export plastic waste covered by the Basel Convention to countries outside the OECD. The EU is signatory of the Barcelona Convention for the Protection of the Marine environment and Coastal Region of the Mediterranean.

    12:

    Support target region by your international cooperation initiatives/projects: South, Central and Southeast Asia Yes

    Target Regions:
    ■ South Asia

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    Best Practices

    ■ National level

    Description:

    1. Comprehensive approach to plastic production, use and disposal in the EU's Plastic Strategy as part of the EU's Circular Economy Action Plan
    2. Binding legislation for monitoring and assessing marine litter, for defining acceptable thresholds, setting targets and for taking measures to reduce quantities of litter and harm from litter
    3. Integrated approach covering all sources of plastic litter and microplastics
    4. Legislation on the reduction of the impact of certain plastic products on the environment, targeting the top 10 single-use plastic products most often found on Europe’s beaches and seas as well as fishing gear containing plastics
    5. Legislation on port reception facilities for the delivery of waste from ships, including from fishing vessels and delivery of passively fished waste without additional fee.
    6. Establishment of baselines for marine litter quantities in the coastal and marine environment
    7. Work towards the establishment of regulatory thresholds to prevent harm from litter in the marine coastal environment, including socio-economic aspects
    8. International and regional approach, coordination with neighbouring countries and third countries

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    Further Information

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    Contact Details

    Name: Giovanni Santambrogio
    Position: Policy Officer
    Division: DG Environment
    Organization: European Commission
    Email: [email protected]

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