Final opportunity for discussions: United Nations Plastics Agreement Negotiations
Europe faces a pressing issue with plastic pollution, as the problem transcends national borders, contaminating soils, freshwater, marine ecosystems, and ultimately the food chain, posing potential health risks to European populations.
Key reasons for the urgency of a global solution include:
- Transboundary plastic pollution: Plastic pollution is a global issue that travels across oceans and continents via currents and winds, affecting European habitats irrespective of local controls. This means pollution originating outside Europe still impacts European environments and health.
- Contamination of habitats and human health risks: Plastics break down into microplastics that infiltrate soils, waterways, and oceans. Toxic chemicals associated with plastics have documented harmful effects, including endocrine disruption and other health problems, underscoring the need for consistent global limits on plastic production, chemical use, and waste handling.
- Limited scope of EU regulations alone: The EU has laws targeting single-use plastics and recycling targets to reduce pollution domestically. However, these efforts may be compromised by the import of plastics and plastic products manufactured in countries without equivalent regulations or enforcement, risking continued contamination despite EU measures.
- Industry lobbying and the need for robust global action: The plastic and fossil fuel industries have lobbied to weaken international agreements, challenging scientific findings and delaying binding commitments. Without a strong global treaty, plastic production and pollution will continue to grow, threatening environmental and public health worldwide, including Europe.
A strong, legally binding global treaty covering the entire lifecycle of plastics — from production and design through disposal — is essential to coordinate international action, ensure fair standards, and effectively address plastic pollution’s ecological and health risks in Europe and beyond. This treaty would support and complement EU measures by holding all countries accountable and reducing the influx of non-compliant plastic products into the European market.
The agreement under negotiation in Geneva aims to cover the production, design, and disposal of plastic. If an agreement is reached, a diplomatic conference for signing will take place next year, and ratification in individual countries may take several years.
Notable developments include:
- Around 300 companies and financial institutions support a "robust treaty with global rules and uniform commitments."
- More than 100 countries, including the EU and many African, Asian, and Latin American states, have called for a robust treaty with clear provisions, including production limits.
- China, the world's largest plastic producer, has already planned national production restrictions.
The U.S. government under Donald Trump is currently dismantling all kinds of regulations, complicating the negotiation process. There is debate over whether desired goals or clear, binding measures should be set in the agreement.
Micro- and nano-plastics enter the body through food, water, and air. Plastic waste destroys habitats, threatens animals and humans, and poisons ecosystems. A quarter of the plastic waste in rivers and oceans comes from plastic bags and bottles. Many substance groups found in plastic additives affect the endocrine system, some are carcinogenic.
As the global plastic production and consumption continue to grow, it is crucial for Europe and the world to work towards a sustainable future by addressing the plastic pollution crisis with a robust, globally binding agreement.
- The issue of transboundary plastic pollution, exacerbated by currents and winds, necessitates a global solution as plastic pollution travels across oceans and continents, affecting European habitats regardless of local controls.
- The health risks associated with plastic contamination, particularly the ingress of microplastics into soils, waterways, and oceans, coupled with the known harmful effects of toxic chemicals associated with plastics, emphasize the urgency for consistent global limits on plastic production, chemical use, and waste handling.
- The need for a strong, legally binding global treaty encompassing the entire lifecycle of plastics arises from the limited scope of EU regulations alone, as the import of plastics from countries without equivalent regulations or enforcement threatens to undermine European efforts to reduce plastic pollution.
