EU regrets lack of conclusion on global plastics agreement

The EU regrets that the 5th session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on the Global Plastics Treaty (INC-5) finished without a deal yesterday in Busan, South Korea.

After two years of negotiations and a week of talks in Busan, UN member states could not find an agreement on what would have been the first-ever global legally binding instrument to end plastic pollution. The session has now been suspended and negotiations will continue in 2025. 

Speaking on the result, Jessika Roswall, Commissioner for the Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy said:

“I strongly regret that there is no agreement on a new global plastics treaty. If business as usual continues, plastic production will triple by 2060.

“The EU will remain firmly committed to finding a global solution. Our oceans, our environment and citizens around the globe need it.” 

The EU remains strongly in favour of such a global instrument and calls on the countries obstructing the deal to show more ambition when the preparations for a new negotiation process resume.

With plastics leaked into the environment forecasted to triple by 2060, half of all plastic waste still being landfilled and less than a fifth recycled, a decisive response to the global pollution crisis is needed.

Almost two-thirds of plastic waste in 2060 will be in the form of short-lived items such as packaging, low-cost products and textiles, according to the OECD.  

Lack of convergence around treaty objectives

The negotiators sitting around the table could not unite around a text of a binding instrument with disagreements most notable on measures for the reduction of overall plastic production, the elimination of certain plastic products, chemicals of concern in products, improved design of plastics, extended producer responsibility and enhanced waste management.  

The main points of divergence were a possible target of reducing the production of primary plastic polymers, bans and restrictions of chemicals of concern in plastic products, as well as problematic and avoidable plastic products. It is on this that major oil-producing countries and the “High Ambition Coalition” countries which includes the EU, the UK, Canada, as well as many African, Latin American and Pacific countries could not find convergence.  

Even though no agreement was reached in Busan, the negotiating committee has made significant progress towards a deal by agreeing on a text that should serve as a basis for negotiations at the next meeting. An overwhelming majority of more than 100 countries shared the ambitions of the EU and the number of countries continues to grow. 

The EU will continue to lead by example, implementing key EU legislation, including on single-use plastics, eco-design for sustainable products, extended producer responsibility, waste management and others.  

Next steps

Preparations for further negotiations will continue. Further meetings of the negotiating committee are foreseen over the next year. In parallel to this, countries will keep working on national action to fight plastic pollution and discussions will continue in view of finding common ground towards a global deal.  

Background

The mandate for the negotiations for a global plastics treaty was adopted at the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-5) in 2022.  

Plastics are important materials for our economy and daily lives. However, the exponential growth of production and consumption of plastics in recent decades is having serious negative effects on the environment and human health.

 According to UNEP data from 2021, global plastic production amounts to some 400 million tonnes (Mt) per year. Yet only an estimated 12% of the plastics produced have been incinerated and only 9% recycled. The remainder has either been disposed of in landfills or released into the environment, including the ocean.

Significant stocks of plastics have already accumulated in aquatic environments, with 109 Mt of plastics accumulated in rivers, and 30 Mt in the ocean.