Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity)
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224. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government further to Parliamentary Question No. 175 of 8 September 2025, the specific issues that led the meeting to be suspended without agreement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52021/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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Following 10 days of negotiations, Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) talks to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment, adjourned early on 15 August without consensus on a text of the instrument.

The goal of INC-5.2 was to agree on the instrument’s text and highlight unresolved issues requiring further preparatory work ahead of a diplomatic conference. Despite intensive engagement, negotiations could not fully resolve several key issues, including whether the treaty should focus solely on plastic waste reduction or address the entire plastic lifecycle (from design to the phasing out of harmful chemicals). However, the Committee agreed to resume negotiations at a future date to be announced. The meeting adjourned with a clearly expressed desire by EU Member States to continue the process, recognizing the significant difference of views between States.

Whilst it is regrettable that the treaty text could not be agreed as hoped for,? the process is not over and will resume at a yet to be determined future date. In this regard, Ireland continues to be a strong and active supporter of the INC process and its aim. Ireland views the multilateral system as the only viable route to addressing the triple planetary crisis, which poses an existential threat the global community and will participate in the next round of talks (INC5.3).