The new rules, under chemicals legislation REACH, will prevent the release to the environment of about half a million tonnes of microplastics.

Issue 609: Over the last decade policymakers across the world have implemented measures to counter plastic pollution. This independent study analyses these key policy initiatives and concludes that they are backed by science.

In a report published today, the Commission identifies Member States at risk of not meeting the 2025 preparing for re-use and recycling targets for municipal and all packaging waste and the 2035 landfilling target.

On Monday, the second high-level round of negotiations on the way to achieving a global treaty against plastic pollution starts in Paris. Commissioner Sinkevičius will represent the Commission at the high-level meeting organised by the United Nations.

At the second EU – Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) ministerial meeting on environment and climate, Ministers from the two regions committed to step up cooperation to tackle the triple planetary crisis of climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss.

Register now to join the EU Green Week conference, Delivering a Net-Zero World, on 6-7 June in Brussels.

The EU is today joining the “High Ambition Coalition to End Plastic Pollution”, confirming its commitment to aim high in the intergovernmental negotiations for a global agreement to end plastic pollution by 2040.

The United Nations Environment Assembly, meeting in Nairobi, has just agreed to launch negotiations on a legally binding global agreement to combat plastic pollution.

Commissioner Sinkevičius is representing the European Union at the fifth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-5) taking place from 28 February to 2 March in Nairobi, Kenya.