John Curran (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)
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1051. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the specific actions and their associated timeframe he is taking to deal with the excessive waste generated by single use plastic products; the annual reduction targets for single use plastic products envisaged; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36530/18]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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On 28 May 2018, the EU Commission published a proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on the reduction of the impact of certain plastic products on the environment. This draft legislation proposes new EU-wide rules to target the 10 most prevalent single-use plastic (SUP) products found on Europe's beaches and seas, as well as lost and abandoned fishing gear, which together account for 70% of all marine litter. The proposal includes:

- proposed bans on certain plastic products, including, cotton buds, plastic cutlery and straws;

- setting targets for both reducing the use of certain plastics (including coffee cups) and the collection of  certain SUPs such as plastic drinks bottles;

- placing obligations on producers of SUP items to help cover the costs of their waste management and clean up through the establishment of extended producer responsibility (EPR) schemes.

The full text of the legislative proposal which sets out all the measures contained therein is available at the following link:

The Commission has indicated that this proposal should be treated as a priority by the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers in order to deliver tangible results within a short timeframe.

Nationally, I am engaging in a range of initiatives, including commissioning a study to explore how we can achieve the 90% target for plastic bottles sought by the Commission in the proposed SUP Directive. I am cognisant, however, that the Commission has warned of the risk of market fragmentation when Member States take measures in an uncoordinated manner, which differ in scope, focus and ambition level. Therefore, my immediate focus is to work closely with the Commission and my EU counterparts to ensure this proposed Directive is progressed as soon as possible.