Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Ireland has supported the adoption of a set of ambitious measures to make EU waste legislation fit for the future as part of the EU's wider circular economy policy. The new recycling and land-filling targets set a credible and ambitious path for better waste management in Europe. They include a new recycling rate of 55% for plastic packaging waste by 2035 which will help drive real progress towards the circular economy.

In January 2018 the European Commission published the European strategy for plastics in a circular economy.

The strategy focuses on plastic production and use and sets a goal of ensuring all plastic packaging is recyclable by 2030. I recently wrote to the European Commissioner with responsibility for the environment to welcome the EU plastics strategy. I assured him Ireland would fully embrace the ambitions in the new strategy. I asked the Commission to focus, in particular, on the most difficult non-recyclable plastics such as soft wrapping, film and single use items and bringing forward timetables.

I am pleased, therefore, to note this week that the Commission has published a further proposal for dealing with the ten single-use plastic products and fishing gear that together account for 70% of the marine litterin Europe. The proposal includes: a ban on certain plastic products; targets for reducing the use of certain plastics; and obligations on producers to cover the costs of waste management and clean up.

I am urging the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers to consider these proposals as soon as possible so that they can be implemented in Ireland and other member states. Before this week's Commission proposals, it would have been illegal for individual member states to take actions to ban packaging or interfere with the EU internal market. Now all 28 member states will be able to move as one to tackle plastic waste.

I am not prepared to wait for EU-wide action. In advance of the EU bans and restrictions coming into place, I am currently considering what financial incentives or penalties I can introduce in Ireland in the interim to tackle the use of the single use plastic items identified by the Commission in a way that is compatible with EU legislation. I am looking forward to bringing forward practical solutions and a package of measures, along with my Government colleagues responsible for marine environment and fisheries, that will work in an Irish context.

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