Germany, the Netherlands and France along with three other countries are calling on the EU to adopt binding rules to limit the microplastics that pollute the environment and have been found in the human body, polar ice caps and deep oceans.
These small plastic particles are used in various products, such as cosmetics and paints, or are inadvertently created when larger pieces of plastic waste are broken down.
The European Commission is drawing up legislation, to be submitted to MEPs and the 27 member states next month, with the aim of adopting measures to reduce the volume of microplastics released into the environment by 30% by 2030.
The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) points out that in Europe around 42.000 tonnes of microplastics contained in products are released into the environment along with another 176.000 tonnes of microplastics created unintentionally from the breakdown of larger waste.
"Measures on a voluntary basis are not enough," the six countries — which include Denmark, Luxembourg, as well as non-EU Norway — stress in a joint document sent to the European Commission this week.
"We ask the Commission to adopt preventive measures at the European level to prevent and limit microplastics in the environment", they add.
They also call on the EU to create a common system to monitor the presence of microplastics in air, water and soil across Europe and to check whether countries are complying and enforcing the rules.
The European Commission proposed legislation last year to limit microplastics deliberately added to various products sold in Europe. The new bill that he will present is expected to also concern microplastics that are unintentionally released into the environment, such as those that come from the use and wear of car tires and from the washing of clothes made of synthetic materials.
Source: RES-EAP