On Monday (17 November), the European Commission (EC) will begin final negotiations regarding a change in European law that would require all member states to ‘reduce the use of the most common and most polluting plastic bags’ by 50 per cent by 2017 and 80 per cent by 2019 (based on 2010 levels).

More than 81 per cent of Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) voted in support of the legislation earlier this year, and over 92 per cent of Europeans agree that measures should be taken to reduce the consumption of single-use plastic bags.

However, the proposed changes face opposition from a number of countries, including the UK, that believe that member states should be left to deal with plastic waste on a national level, as opposed to being mandated to do so by the European Parliament.

Details of the amendment

The draft amendment to the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive aims to reduce the amount of plastic bags littered in the EU to limit environmental damage. Specifically, the law aims to reduce the consumption of lightweight plastic bags with a thickness below 50 microns, which are ‘less reusable than thicker models and become waste more quickly’.

The draft was first proposed by the EC in November 2013, and was approved by MEPs on 16 April this year, after receiving the support of 539 MEPs (with 51 voting against and 72 abstentions).

It comes alongside legislation proposed in the last EC term that seeks to drive a ‘transition to the circular economy’ through a range of targets, including a recycling and reuse target of 70 per cent by 2030.

Opposition to the proposals

However, in its response to the circular economy proposals following the consultation last year, the UK government said it would not support the introduction of new EU waste targets, or extending current targets, as they ‘would be unlikely to improve the current system and could result in perverse or unintended outcomes’.

It added earlier this month that although it supports the ‘overall ambition and vision’ of the package, it is ‘keen to make sure that the proposals… allow flexibility, ensure that costs are justified by expected impact, avoid unnecessary burdens on business and create an environment that welcomes innovation’.

As such, the UK, along with a group of other EU countries, is said to be attempting to block the plastic bag reduction targets, as well as preventing a ban on oxo-degradable plastics, arguing that such decisions should be left up to national governments. (The UK has pointed out that it has already legislated to reduce the consumption of single-use plastic bags, with England set to become the last UK nation to charge for plastic bags next year. It also pointed out that there is now a plastic bag recycling facility in operation in England as evidence of the country’s efforts to reduce the environmental impacts of plastic film.)

Speaking of the UK's opposition to the plastic bag targets, Piotr Barczak, the European Environmental Bureau’s Policy Officer on Waste, said: “This basically amounts to a failure to respect either the environment or public opinion. In spite of strong backing across political groups in the parliament for the proposal and massive popular support for reductions, the UK and some other countries in the council persist in showing a complete disregard for the awful environmental consequences of pollution from plastic bags.”

EC waste targets under threat?

Since the circular economy package and plastic bag reduction proposals were introduced, the EC has entered a new five-year term (beginning 1 November), which saw Maltese politician and former Tourism Minister Karmenu Vella’s appointed as the new European Commissioner for Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries.

There are now rumours circulating that this commission is less keen on implementing the circular economy proposals than the previous administration, leaving some to doubt the progress of the plastic bag reduction targets.

If the final negotiations on Monday do not produce an agreement, then the proposal will return to the drawing board and could be thrown out altogether.

Find out more about the EC’s plastic bag reduction proposals and its circular economy package.