The next step in the cumbersome process of regulating carrier bag consumption in Europe has been taken. After the European Parliament’s Environment Committee in early March gave its blessing to the European Commission’s proposal to curb the use of lightweight barrier bags among its 28 EU member states (see Plasteurope.com of 13.03.2014), the entire parliament has now endorsed the draft rules, too.

A spokesman for the parliament told Plasteurope.com that while there were a few minor alterations to the proposal, the core remains the same – the use of lightweight plastic bags thinner than 50 microns is to be phased out gradually by means of taxes, levies, restrictions and bans, while member states should promote the use of alternative biodegradable or compostable bags.

This is not, however, the last time we will hear about this particular legislation. With elections due soon, the parliament’s nodding off the bill merely set in motion a process that will still entail a discussion among the EU ministers council, whose opinion on the matter will then have to be debated with the parliament and the commission itself.

The parliament’s vote – with 539 in favour, 51 against and 72 abstentions – was welcomed by European Bioplastics (Berlin / Germany; www.european-bioplastics.org), which said it “supports the outcome of the vote and the corresponding provisions for compostable plastic carrier bags”. Italian bioplastics producer Novamont (Novara; www.novamont.com) also released a statement in favour of the decision, adding that the vote shows that each state can choose its own path to the common goal of reducing the usage of single-use lightweight bags. Italy last year imposed a ban on non-biodegradable and non-compostable plastic bags – see Plasteurope.com of 17.04.2013.