Press Release: Use of plastic bags: agreement on phasing out

The Permanent Representatives Committee confirmed an agreement with the European Parliament on new EU-wide rules for a reduction in the consumption of plastic bags. The agreement was reached in an informal trilogue on 17 November 2014.

The new rules aimed to limit the negative impacts of plastic carrier bag littering on the environment and encourage waste prevention and a more efficient use of resources. Littering of plastic bags results in accumulation in the environment, particularly in the form of marine litter. Once discarded, plastic bags can last for hundreds of years before they are fully degraded.

ESO: Background information: MEPs clamp down on wasteful use of plastic carrier bags http://www.europeansources.info/record/press-release-meps-clamp-down-on-wasteful-use-of-plastic-carrier-bags/

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