Debate: Recent ecological catastrophe involving plastic pellet losses and its impact on micro plastic pollution in the maritime and coastal habitats
Date: THURSDAY, 18 JANUARY 2024
Speaker: Virginijus Sinkevičius
Language: EN

Other regions have been struggling with the endemic pollution by plastic pellets due to poor handling at every stage of the supply chain, and such pollution may not have been always as visible as in major accidents, but it has nonetheless harmful impacts on soils and waters, on lives and livelihoods. So the need for action is clear. That’s why in October last year, the Commission put forward a proposal for a regulation on preventing plastic pellet losses. The primary focus is on prevention because once pellets enter the environment, they are difficult and costly to capture. And I would like to thank Parliament for giving priority to the work of this proposal in such a busy period of time. Coming back to the case at hand, let me begin with the tools that we already have at EU level to assist. The EU system hosted in the European Maritime Safety Agency allows the sharing of information between countries on containers lost at sea. It was duly activated in this case. Other forms of EU support are available through the Emergency Response Coordination Centre, EU Civil Protection Mechanism, for example, and the EU Solidarity Fund. Support might be also available from funds such as the European Maritime Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund and Cohesion Funds. So the reasons for the fall remain to be investigated as well as the responsibilities. In the meantime, the clean-up is ongoing, but these operations are costly in terms of time and equipment, and they are also very challenging, especially at sea. That is why accidental and operational losses should be best avoided in the first place, and when losses occur, the polluter pays principle must apply. So the Commission proposal on plastic pellet losses requires economic operators to act in the following order. Firstly, they have to take action to prevent any spills. Then comes the containment obligation to ensure that spill pellets do not leak to the environment. And thirdly, if pellets pollute the environment, the clean-up must be ensured. So the proposal covers operators that produce, store or convert plastic pellets into products, and EU and non-EU carriers transporting pellets by road, rail and inland waterways in the Union. Given the international nature of maritime transport, this sector was not included in the proposal, so the Commission is, however, actively working at the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) to tackle highly complex matter. The IMO is examining the issue of plastic pellets transportation in containers intensively, notably on three aspects. So firstly, good quality packaging to withstand the shocks and handling normally encountered during transport. Second, transport information to clearly identify those freight containers containing plastic pellets, and thirdly, safe storage to minimise the hazards to the marine environment. Specifically, freight containers with plastic pellets should be stored under deck whenever possible or on board in sheltered areas of exposed decks. So we are determined, with the support of the Member States, to speed up this work with the International Maritime Organisation and help take decisions. This would avoid ending up with a patchwork of different regional and national rules, and in particular, given that many containers are loaded onto ships in ports outside the EU. So it is important that these rules are agreed and adopted worldwide to be effective. At the same time, we are ready to consider the inclusion of further provisions in EU law on the basis of the developments at the International Maritime Organisation. So this could include a ban on the carriage of pellets in bulk, and also tighter rules on the quality of packaging and the transport of pellets in the main body of ships. In this way, we would already reduce the risk of pellets washing up on our beaches. Protecting coastal and marine ecosystems is in the interests of all. The EU’s blue economy sectors including fisheries, aquaculture and coastal tourism are directly affected by plastic pellet pollution. So we need firm action by all parties involved, as sea waters are transboundary and this will require close cooperation among Member States. Despite our efforts, the sea remains unpredictable and at times a dangerous place to operate, so adverse weather conditions may unavoidably lead to catastrophic events. It is then that remediation solutions are necessary, so the Commission will pursue the evaluation of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive, which already contains provisions to protect the marine environment against harm caused by litter. The Environmental Liability Directive, which offers limited protection in this regard, will also be subject to evaluation. The Commission will continue to contribute to the research guidance, promotion and support of best handling practice with a view to reducing any possible effects caused by plastic pellet losses. Reducing microplastic pollution is also an objective of the EU Mission ‘Restore Our Ocean and Waters’, which is developing and demonstrating innovative solutions to prevent, eliminate and monitor microplastics in our ocean and waters. Finally, I would like to point out the new international instrument on plastic pollution that is currently being negotiated. Let me stress the importance of including a legally binding provision to prevent release of plastics into the environment through the life cycle. I am confident that together, we will find the best way to deal with the current crisis and pave the way to preventing such crises in the future. This entails the rapid adoption of the proposal on plastic pellets, and I am sure that we are all united in our determination to do all we can to avert such ecological disasters.