15 November 2018

NEW PLASTIC LAW PROPOSAL

EU PARLIAMENT ADOPTS SINGLE-USE PLASTICS RULES

EU Parliament adopts report on EU Commission’s proposal for regulation of certain single-use plastic articles contributing to marine litter. On October 24, 2018, the European Parliament (EP) adopted a report prepared by its Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) on the EU Commission’s (EC) legislative proposal for reduction of the impact of certain plastic products on the environment, released in May 2018 (FPF reported). Next, the EP will “enter into negotiations with the Council once EU ministers have agreed their position.” The now-adopted “new EU rules tackle lost fishing gear and the 10 single-use plastic products most widely found on European shores,” which “account for 70% of marine litter,” the EP summarized (FPF reported). Some of these products, including cotton buds sticks, cutlery, plates, straws, stirrers, and balloon sticks, “could soon be banned as non-plastic alternatives are now available.”

MERCOSUR REVISED RESOLUTION ON ADDITIVES FOR PLASTIC FCMS IN FINAL REVIEW

MERCOSUR’s final draft of the revised GMC Resolution No. 32/07 permitting additives that may be used in the manufacture of plastic foodcontact materials is undergoing a public national and international consultation prior to publication. The resolution includes specific migration limits and usage restrictions for an updated list of permitted additives, in addition to defining calculation methods for assessing compliance with SMLs. The final draft was elevated to the National Coordinators during the MERCOSUR SGT No. 3 meeting at the end of August. The next step is for the draft to be published in each Member State (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay) for a consultation period of at least 60 days. Once the National Coordinators receive comments, they will be reviewed and forwarded to the MERCOSUR Food Packaging Group for review and to the executive body of MERCOSUR, Grupo Mercado Común (GMC) for final revisions. Thereafter, it will be sanctioned formally (with any modifications) as a GMC Resolution and published by MERCOSUR. The final step is for Member States to transpose the new GMC Resolution into their national legislations within 180 days, pursuant to GMC Resolution No. 45/17.