Activities of Xabier BENITO ZILUAGA related to 2018/0172(COD)
Plenary speeches (1)
Reduction of the impact of certain plastic products on the environment (A8-0317/2018 - Frédérique Ries) ES
Shadow opinions (1)
OPINION on the proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on the reduction of the impact of certain plastic products on the environment
Amendments (25)
Amendment 18 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 3
Recital 3
(3) Marine lit150 million tons of plastics and microplastics have accumulaterd is of a transboundary nature and is recognized as a global problem. Rn the world’s oceans and seas, causing severe damage to marine fauna and flora, the climate and global biodiversity; according to the UN, if nothing is done, there will be more plastic than fish in the oceans by 2050; reducing marine litter is a key action for the achievement of United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 14 which calls to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.36 The Union must play its part in tackling marine litter and aim to be a standard setter for the world. In this context, the Union is working with partners in many international fora such as G20, G7 and United Nations to promote concerted action. This initiative is part of the Union efforts in this regard. _________________ 36 The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 25 September 2015.
Amendment 29 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 7
Recital 7
(7) To focus efforts where they are most needed, this Directive should commonly cover the most found single-use plastics products, which are estimated to represent around 86% of the single-use plastics found, in counts, on beaches in the Union and also fishing gear. The transition to a circular economy will necessitate a reduction in the overall use of single use plastic. .
Amendment 43 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 11
Recital 11
(11) For certain single-use plastic products, suitable and more sustainable alternatives are not yet readily available and the consumption of most such single- use plastic products is expected to increase. To reverse that trend and promote effortsmove towards more sustainable solutions Member States should be required to take the necessary measures to achieve a significant reduction in the consumption of those products, without compromising food hygiene or food safety, good hygiene practices, good manufacturing practices, consumer information, or traceability requirements set out in Union food legislation44 . Reductions in overall consumption of single use products is crucial in transitioning to a circular economy. _________________ 44 Regulation (EC) 178/2002 laying down the general principles and requirements of food law (OJ L 31, 1.2.2002, p.1-24), Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 on the hygiene of foodstuffs (OJ L 139, 30.4.2004, p.1-54), Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004 on materials intended to come into contact and other relevant legislation related to food safety, hygiene and labeling (OJ L 338, 13.11.2004, p.4-17).
Amendment 49 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 12
Recital 12
(12) For other single-use plastic products, suitable and more sustainable alternatives that are also affordable are readily available. In order to limit the adverse impact of such products on the environment, Member States should be required to prohibit their placing on the Union market. By doing so, the use of those readily available and more sustainable alternatives as well as innovative solutions towards more sustainable business models, re-use alternatives and substitution of materials would be promoted.
Amendment 60 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 15
Recital 15
(15) With regard to single-use plastic products for which there are no readily available suitable and more sustainable alternatives, Member States should, in line with the polluter pays principle, also introduce extended producer responsibility schemes to cover the costs of waste management and clean-up of litter as well as the costs of awareness-raising measures to prevent and reduce such litter. At the same time, Member States should ensure that additional costs will not be supported by citizens and the sanctions for producers are dissuasive enough.
Amendment 66 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 19
Recital 19
(19) Directive 2008/98/EC lays down general minimum requirements for extended producer responsibility schemes. Those requirements should apply to extended producer responsibility schemes established by this Directive. This Directive, however, establishes additional extended producer responsibility requirements, for examplenotably, the requirement on producers of certain single-use plastic products to cover the costs of clean-up of litter, as well as other measures that would be effective in reducing the impact of plastic on the environment and human health. .
Amendment 72 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 22
Recital 22
(22) Pursuant to paragraph 22 of the Interinstitutional Agreement between the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union and the European Commission on Better Law-Making of 13 April 201648 , the Commission should carry out an evaluation of this Directive. That evaluation should be based on experience gathered and data collected during the implementation of this Directive and data collected under Directive 2008/56/EC or Directive 2008/98/EC. The evaluation should provide the basis for an assessment of possible further measures and an assessment whether, in view of monitoring of marine litter in the Union, the Annex listing single-use plastic products needs to be reviewed. The evaluation should also consider whether scientific and technical progress that has taken place in the meantime, including the development of biodegradable materials and the development of criteria or a standard for biodegradability of plastics in the marine environment, as foreseen in the European Plastics Strategy, allows the setting of a standard for biodegradation of certain single-use plastic products in the marine environment. That standard would include a standard to test if, as a result of physical and biological decomposition in the marine environment, plastics would fully decompose into carbon dioxide (CO2), biomass and water within a timescale short enough for the plastics not to be harmful for marine life and not lead to an accumulation of plastics in the environment. If that is the case, single-use plastic products that meet such a standard could be exempted from the prohibition on placing on the market. While the European Strategy for Plastics already envisages action in this area, it also recognises the challenges in relation to determining a regulatory framework for plastics with biodegradable properties due to different marine conditions across seas in order to expand the list of single use plastic items. There should be no consideration of biodegradability in reviewing the annex. _________________ 48 OJ L 123, 12.5.2016, p. 1.
Amendment 83 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1
Article 1 – paragraph 1
The objective of this Directive is to prevent and significantly reduce the impact of certain plastic productplastics on the environment, in particular the aquatic environment, and on human health, as well as to promote the transition to a non-toxic circular economy with innovative business models,through a reduction in productsion and materials, thus also contriconsumption of single use plastics, with sustainable butsing to the efficient functioning of the iness models, non-toxic products and maternial markets.
Amendment 88 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point 1
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point 1
(1) 'plastic' means a material consisting of a polymer within the meaning of Article 3(5) of Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006, to which additives or other substances may have been added, and which can function as a main structural component of final products, with the exception of natural polymers that have not been chemically modified;
Amendment 95 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point 2
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point 2
(2) 'single-use plastic product' means a product that is made wholly or partly from plastic and that is not conceived, designed or placed on the market to accomplish, within its life span,unlikely to accomplish multiple trips or rotations within its life span by being returned to the producer for refill or re-used for the same purpose for which it was conceived;
Amendment 99 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point 10
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point 10
(10) 'producer' means any natural or legal person that, manufactures, processes, treats, sells or imports single-use plastic products or fishing gear containing plastic as understood in Article 8(1) of Directive 2008/98. A producer may be qualified as such irrespective of the selling technique used, including distance contracts within the meaning of Directive 2011/83/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 201150 , places on the market single-use plastic products and fishing gear containing plastic except persons carrying out fishing activities as defined in Article 4(28) of Regulation (EC) No 1380/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council51 ; _________________ 50 Directive 2011/83/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2011 on consumer rights, amending Council Directive 93/13/EEC and Directive 1999/44/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council and repealing Council Directive 85/577/EEC and Directive 97/7/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ L 304, 22.11.2011, p. 64–88). 51 Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2013 on the Common Fisheries Policy, amending Council Regulations (EC) No 1954/2003 and (EC) No 1224/2009 and repealing Council Regulations (EC) No 2371/2002 and (EC) No 639/2004 and Council Decision 2004/585/EC (OJ L 354, 28.12.2013, p.22).
Amendment 100 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point 14 a (new)
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point 14 a (new)
(14 a) "Food or drink outlet" means any establishment where food and/or drink can be provided for consumption instore/on the spot, including but not limited to restaurants, fast food stores, cafés and food trucks.
Amendment 105 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1
Member States shall take the necessary measures to achieve a significant50% reduction in the consumption of the single-use plastic products listed in Part A of the Annex on their territory by … [six year2025 and an 80% reduction by 2030. Member States shall establish a baseline by [18 months after the end- date for transposition of this Directive]. Member States shall adopt plans for the achievement of these reductions, including the measures taken.
Amendment 115 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2 a (new)
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2 a (new)
Member States shall also take the necessary measures to achieve a 35% reduction by 2025 and a 60% reduction by 2030 in the consumption of the products listed in Part F of the Annex, with baseline as above.
Amendment 119 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 4 – paragraph 2
Article 4 – paragraph 2
2. The Commission mayshall adopt an implementing act laying down the methodology for the calculation and verification of the significant reduction targets in the consumption of the single-use plastic products referred to in paragraph 1 by ...[12 months before the end date for transposition of this Directive]. That implementing act shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 16(2).
Amendment 129 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 5 – paragraph 1
Article 5 – paragraph 1
Member States shall prohibit the placing on market of the single-use plastic products listed in Part B of the Annex. Given that products other than those covered by this Directive are significant contributors to marine litter, the Member State will be empowered to apply to those products the same measures applicable to the items listed in Part B of the Annex. The Member State shall inform the Commission of the adoption of these measures, including their rationale, scientific evidence in support and details on their practical implementation and enforcement.
Amendment 138 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 6 – paragraph 1 a (new)
Article 6 – paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Member States shall ensure that, by 2025, the products referred to in paragraph 1 are made with at least 35% of non-toxic recycled content. By 2022, the Commission shall adopt implementing acts laying down the methodology for the calculation of recycled content. Those implementing acts shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 16(2) of this Directive.
Amendment 145 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 6 – paragraph 4 a (new)
Article 6 – paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. Member States shall ensure that the product requirements for all products referred to in this Directive shall prevent the use of hazardous chemicals in their composition.
Amendment 166 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 8 – paragraph 3
Article 8 – paragraph 3
3. Member States shall ensure that extended producer responsibility schemes are established for fishing gear containing plastic placed on the Union market, in accordance with the provisions on extended producer responsibility in Directive 2008/98/EC with the addition of the following requirements: (a) modulate financial contributions to promote the placing on the market of fishing gear designed for reuse and recycling; (b) establish sufficient deposit-refund schemes to encourage the return of fishing gear that is no longer in use; (c) include monitoring, tracking and reporting programmes; and (d) achieve a recycling target of at least 25% for fishing gear by 2025 and 75% by 2030.
Amendment 168 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 8 – paragraph 4 – subparagraph 1 a (new)
Article 8 – paragraph 4 – subparagraph 1 a (new)
In accordance with the provisions on extended producer responsibility in Directive 2008/98/EC, Member States shall take the necessary measures to ensure that the financial contributions paid by the producer to comply with its extended producer responsibility obligations are modulated, for individual products or groups of similar products, notably by taking into account their durability, reparability, re-usability and their recyclability and the presence of hazardous substances hereby taking a life-cycle approach and aligned with the requirements set by relevant Union law, and when available, based on harmonised criteria in order to ensure a smooth functioning of the internal market. Member States shall take the necessary measures to ensure that a reporting system is in place to make publicly available i) the quantity of the products placed in the market and the waste flows resulting from those (ii) the financial contribution paid by producers of products per unit sold or per tonne of product placed on the market; (iii) the allocation of financial prevention and management; and (iv) the extent to which the scheme(s)reduce the amount of plastic in residual waste.
Amendment 179 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 9 – paragraph 1 a (new)
Article 9 – paragraph 1 a (new)
For the proper functioning of an effective collection system of all types of plastic waste, public awareness on waste management at the local and regional level should be ensured.
Amendment 189 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 13 – paragraph 3 a (new)
Article 13 – paragraph 3 a (new)
3 a. The Commission introduce a mandatory traceability system for chemicals in plastics; stresses the urgent need to remove harmful chemicals from plastics so that their reuse and recycling can be done in a safe way for both workers of waste facilities and end-users alike;
Amendment 192 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 15 – paragraph 1
Article 15 – paragraph 1
1. The Commission shall carry out an evaluation of this Directive by … [sixthree years after the end-date for transposition of this Directive]. The evaluation shall be based on the information available in accordance with Article 13. Member States shall provide the Commission with any additional information necessary for the purposes of the evaluation and the preparation of the report referred to in paragraph 2.
Amendment 198 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 15 – paragraph 3 – point c
Article 15 – paragraph 3 – point c
Amendment 202 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 15 – paragraph 3 – point c a (new)
Article 15 – paragraph 3 – point c a (new)
(c a) Any review shall not consider criteria or standards for the biodegradability or disintegration in the marine environment of single-use plastic products.