Brussels, 9 April 2025
Commission welcomes provisional agreement to reduce microplastic pollution
Still to this day, many plastic pellets are lost during daily operations at handling installations or during transport ending up in the environment, including in the sea, due to inadequate handling by maritime and other operators. This was the case, for example, during recent accidents in the North-West coast of Spain and in the North Sea. The new rules are expected to reduce plastic pellet losses by up to 74%, which will help preserve ecosystems and biodiversity, reduce human health risks and improve the sector’s reputation. This in turn, will benefit economic actors, for instance in the agriculture, aquaculture and tourism sector.
To reduce administrative burden for small companies, the Commission successfully advocated to limit the certification obligations to companies handling more than 1,500 tonnes of plastic pellets per year. Below this threshold, only a self-declaration will be required. In addition, smaller companies will benefit from special assistance to help them comply with this new Regulation.
Measures to prevent microplastics pollution
Plastic pellets contaminate water and soil, including agricultural lands, and harm ecosystems and biodiversity. Once ingested, they can cause physical harm or death to marine and coastal species, such as sea turtles, seabirds, and shellfish.
Microplastics are persistent, mobile, and extremely difficult and costly to remove from nature. They are found worldwide, even in remote locations, and in the human body, raising serious concerns about the impacts of high exposure on human health.
Too often, the burden falls upon local communities. Therefore, economic operators and carriers will have to follow best handling measures to prevent, contain and clean up losses. These measures are based on industry best practices. For instance, they will have to ensure that the quality of the used packaging is good and stop using it if it is leaking or sifting. To contain spills, they will have to make use of catchment devices like spill trays, and when cleaning up is necessary, they will have to make use of vacuum cleaners with sufficient capacity.
To support smaller operators, lighter requirements will apply to micro and small enterprises, which make up a significant portion of the pellet supply chain.
Standardisation bodies will develop a harmonised methodology to help economic operators and carriers monitor their losses and address data gaps. This will increase accountability and raise awareness of the impact of different practices on the environment and human health.
Next steps
The European Parliament and the Council will now formally have to adopt the new Regulation before it can enter into force. It will then enter into force 20 days after its publication in the Official Journal of the EU.
Background
The need to address microplastic pollution was identified in the EU Plastics Strategy, the Circular Economy Action Plan and the Zero Pollution Action Plan. The approach to achieving this target is threefold: reduce pollution from plastic products (as they degrade into microplastics); restrict the use of intentionally added microplastics in products; and reduce unintentional microplastic releases.
The rules provisionally agreed today, together with the restrictions on intentionally added microplastics adopted on 25 September 2023, are the first EU measures specifically designed to tackle microplastic pollution at source.
Together, they contribute to the target of reducing microplastics releases into the environment by 30% by 2030 established by the Zero Pollution Action Plan.
More Information
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Today’s provisional agreement marks another important step toward a cleaner and healthier planet. All ecosystems will benefit from these new handling measures to limit pellet losses. Businesses that depend on these ecosystems will have a better environment to thrive in. By maintaining lighter requirements for small companies, we’ve developed smart environmental legislation, positioning the EU as a global leader in reducing pellet losses and a smart regulator that avoids unnecessary burden.
EU Council background
Today, the Council and the European Parliament provisionally agreed on a regulation on preventing the loss of plastic pellets – the industrial raw materials used to make plastic products – into the environment. The new rules will help improve the handling of plastic pellets at all stages of the supply chain, both on land and sea.
Microplastics, including plastic pellets are now found everywhere — in our oceans, seas and even in the food we eat. Each year, the equivalent of up to 7,300 truckloads of plastic pellets are lost to the environment. Today, the EU has taken a landmark step toward reducing pellet pollution by adopting measures to tackle losses and ensure correct handling, including in maritime transport.
Paulina Hennig-Kloska, Polish Minister for Climate and Environment
Stronger prevention of pellet losses
Under the new rules, prevention of plastic pellet losses would be the main objective for operators and EU and non-EU carriers. A clear framework sets out obligations for cases of accidental losses focusing on clean-up operations. A clear set of measures will be included in a risk management plan, prepared by each installation handling pellets. Such measures would tackle, among others, packaging, loading and unloading, staff training, as well as necessary equipment.
To provide for a level playing field between the EU and non-EU carriers and to ensure accountability and transparency for all carriers of plastic pellets, non-EU carriers will have to designate an authorised representative in the EU.
Achieving simplification and compliance
In line with the simplification goals for smaller companies and reflecting the Council’s approach, the provisional agreement strikes a balance between a high level of environmental protection and the requirements for companies adapted to their different size. In this sense, operators that handle above 1 500 tonnes of plastic pellets annually will have to obtain a certificate issued by an independent third party. Small companies also handling above 1 500 tonnes per year will benefit from lighter obligations, such as one-off certification to be done in 5 years after the entry into force. Finally, companies handling less than 1 500 tonnes annually and microenterprises will only need to issue a self-declaration of conformity.
Maritime transport
The persistence of a plastic pellet in an aquatic environment can be measured over decades or more, since plastic pellets are not biodegradable. Moreover, maritime transport accounted for around 38% of all pellets transported in the EU in 2022.
Therefore, the co-legislators also agreed to set obligations for the transport of plastic pellets by sea (in freight containers), including ensuring good quality packaging and providing transport and cargo-related information, following the guidelines of the International Maritime Organisation.
Next steps
The provisional agreement will now have to be endorsed by the Council and the Parliament. It will then be formally adopted by both institutions, following a legal and linguistic review, and published in the Official Journal of the EU. The regulation will then become applicable 2 years after publication. To facilitate compliance within the maritime sector, the co-legislators agreed to postpone the application of relevant rules by one year (compared to the rest of the rules set out in the regulation).
Background
It is estimated that between 52 140 and 184 290 tonnes of pellets were lost into the environment in the EU in 2019. Pellet losses can occur at various stages along the value chain. Currently, no EU rules specifically cover plastic pellet losses, despite their adverse impacts on the environment, the climate, the economy and potentially on human health. Plastic pellets rank third among the largest sources of unintentional microplastic releases, after paints and tyres.
- Zero pollution: Council agrees its position on reducing plastic pellet losses, including in maritime transport (press release, 17 December 2024)
- General approach on a regulation on preventing plastic pellet losses to reduce microplastic pollution
- Council conclusions on making the recovery circular and green, 11 December 2020
- Zero pollution action plan (European Commission)
- Tackling plastic waste (background information)
Source – EU Council
EU Parliament background
- Specific requirements to prevent, contain and clean up plastic pellets spills and losses
- Measures to cover EU and non-EU carriers, as well as maritime transport operators
- Specific pictogram and a warning statement to accompany the pellets
On Tuesday night, co-legislators reached a provisional agreement on measures to better prevent plastic pellets losses throughout the supply chain, with the aim of achieving zero losses.
Parliament and Council negotiators agreed on new rules that would require entities handling plastic pellets to take specific measures to avoid losses. These would apply to economic operators handling over 5 tonnes of plastic pellets in the EU, all EU and non-EU transport carriers using road, rail or inland waterways, as well as maritime operators leaving or calling at a port in an EU country.
Risk management plans for installations and certification
The regulation would require economic operators to establish and implement a risk management plan for each installation handling plastic pellets – containing procedures to prevent, contain and clean up spills – taking into account the nature and size of the installation as well as the scale of their operations.
For installations handling more than 1500 tonnes of pellets a year, compliance with the plans would need to be regularly certified for large and medium enterprises, with a one-off certification for small enterprises.
Specific measures to minimise plastic pellets losses
According to the deal, maritime transport operators would need to ensure that plastic pellets transported by sea are packed in good quality packaging that is strong enough and properly closed to withstand normal transport conditions, and that they are accompanied by clear cargo information and special stowage requests.
When incidental or accidental losses occur, economic operators, EU carriers and non-EU carriers would be required to immediately inform emergency services, take all possible measures to minimise the consequences as well as to prevent further incidents or accidents.
Information requirements
On request of the Parliament, the deal foresees that a specific pictogram and a warning statement should be provided on the label, the packaging or on the safety data sheet accompanying the plastic pellets.
The regulation would apply two years after its entry into force (three years for maritime transport).
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Rapporteur César Luena (S&D, ES) said:
We have reached a good agreement that will ensure pellet losses are no longer impossible to address, as has been the case until now. Europe gains in security and prevention, and equips itself with instruments to react to incidents and accidents that may involve plastic pellet losses.
Next steps
Parliament and Council have concluded an “early second reading agreement” (negotiation took place after the EP first reading was adopted in plenary). The Council is now expected to formally adopt its position, which can then be endorsed by the EP in second reading.
Background
By 2030, the EU should reduce the number of microplastics released into the environment (intentionally and unintentionally) by 30%. On 16 October 2023, the Commission proposed a regulation to tackle microplastic pollution resulting from losses of plastic pellets – the industrial raw materials used to make plastic products. These losses are the third largest source of unintentional microplastic releases into the EU environment.
Further information
- Procedure file
- Legislative train
- EP Research: Reducing microplastic pollution from plastic pellet losses (February 2025)
Source – EU Parliament