Purpose
Directive (EU) 2019/904 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 June 2019 on the reduction of the impact of certain plastic products on the environment aims to prevent and reduce the harmful effects of specific single‑use plastic items and fishing gear containing plastic, particularly in marine environments. It forms part of the EU’s contribution to sustainable development goals related to the protection of oceans and marine resources.
Scope of application
The Directive applies to Member States of the European Union, which are required to transpose its provisions into national law by specified deadlines (e.g. market restrictions from 3 July 2021; product design requirements from 3 July 2024; extended producer responsibility regimes by 31 December 2024). The obligations encompass single‑use plastic products and fishing gear containing plastic, and include measures for reduction, market restrictions, product design, separate collection, producer responsibility, labelling, consumer awareness and data reporting.
Main features and mechanisms
• Member States must adopt measures to achieve reductions in the consumption of listed single‑use plastic products, for example through national reduction targets or market restrictions to replace such products with sustainable alternatives.
• Certain single‑use plastic products are banned from placement on the market (e.g. cotton bud sticks, cutlery, straws and other specified items).
• Product design requirements are imposed on specified items (e.g. beverage container caps must remain attached to the container; PET bottles must contain minimum recycled plastic content).
• Labelling obligations require products to provide consumers with information on correct waste management and environmental impacts.
• Member States are required to establish extended producer responsibility schemes to cover the costs of collection, treatment, removal of waste and awareness‑raising for single‑use plastic products and fishing gear.
• There are targets for separate collection of waste from single‑use plastic products placed on the market, and measures such as deposit‑refund systems may be adopted to achieve these.
• Annual reporting obligations require Member States to submit data to the Commission on market placement, separate collection, recycled content and measures adopted.