The European Commission is looking into measures to reduce microplastics impact on the environment
By We have just shared with the European Commission our recommendations for the upcoming measures meant to curb microplastic pollution. The new initiative aims to tackle microplastics unintentionally released into the environment, and it will focus on labelling, standardisation, certification and regulatory measures for the main sources of emitting these plastics, including pellets, tyres and textiles.
We are pleased to see the initiative take shape: microplastics release and accumulation are ramping up at a dramatic pace, and the EU should take decisive steps to stop this stream of plastic pollution with mandatory regulatory actions. Decades of scientific research on the negative impacts of microplastics are more than enough to justify ambitious policy measures at EU level. Microplastics are pervasive, chronic, persistent, transboundary pollutants with proven harmful impacts on the environment.
ECOS calls on the Commission to be even more ambitious than in the presented roadmap: prevention and reduction at source are fundamental strategies to stop microplastics pollution and should be further reinforced – it is not enough to focus on damage control measures.
Read our views on how the microplastics initiative can go even further and take a look at our brochure on how EU policy can tackle microplastics pollution, developed in collaboration with Seas at Risk, the EEB and Surfrider.
