Plastic pollution is an urgent and global problem. Current responses to this problem are fragmented, and can only provide a limited long-term effect on the discharge of plastics into the environment. Now, momentum is increasing to scale up global efforts.

The EU is paving the way for a global agreement on plastics, to support the global shift to a circular economy as outlined in the new circular economy action plan. Such a global agreement should address plastic pollution throughout the entire plastics lifecycle, in order to minimise the mismanagement of plastics and prevent plastic from entering the environment.

There is currently no dedicated international instrument in place designed specifically to prevent plastic pollution throughout the entire plastics lifecycle. Some countries are taking action to reduce plastic consumption or increase recycling - through campaigns and awareness-raising measures for example. Other countries have specific laws in place, such as obliging producers and manufacturers to minimise waste, adopting recycling targets, or phasing out the most problematic plastic products, including single use plastics.

However, recent studies show that with the current measures, we are only able to reduce marine plastic pollution, a central element of the plastic challenge, by 7 per cent. Therefore, more than 100 countries have called to establish a global agreement on plastics, under the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP). The aim of this agreement would be to tackle the global discharge and mismanagement of plastics, by reducing both plastics leakage into the environment and the impact of plastic production and consumption on resources.

The need to take urgent, concrete action has been emphasized in several United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) resolutions since 2014. An ad-hoc open-ended expert group on marine litter (the “AHEG”) was set up in 2017 by UNEA3 to identify potential solutions. The group had concluded its work and its recommendations were considered at the second session of UNEA5 in early 2022, leading to the launch of negotiations on a legally binding global agreement to combat plastic pollution.

An intergovernmental negotiating committee within which negotiations for the plastics agreement can take place was established at UNEA5. The EU will continue to work with its allies and other partners aiming at a rapid conclusion of the negotiations.

The agreement should aim to close the gaps that existing instruments do not address. It should also help to streamline and coordinate efforts by all stakeholders involved by providing an overarching framework for action. The mandate agreed at UNEA5.2 includes the setup of an intergovernmental negotiating committee that will develop aninternational legally bindinginstrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment, based on a comprehensive approach that addresses the full lifecycle of plastics. The negotiating committee should, according to its mandate, consider provisions to specify the objectives of the instrument, to promote sustainable production and consumption, implementation and update of national action plans, as well as reporting and effectiveness assessments of the new instrument.

Key dates related to the EU’s global action on plastics

Main law: No legally binding instrument yet but mandate for negotiations agreed at UNEA5.2 and negotiations to be launched in second half of 2022

Related topics: Circular economy International Plastics Sustainable development Waste and recycling

Related strategies: Circular economy action plan Plastics strategy

Related Commission priorities: European Green Deal

For questions about EU environmental policy, please contact Europe Direct.