According to CCTV News, on September 29th local time, the European Commission sent reasoned opinions or formal notification letters to 11 EU member states respectively, due to their failure to complete the legislation of the EU Disposable Plastic Products Regulation in their own countries within the prescribed time.
11 member states need to respond within two months, otherwise they may face further processing or financial sanctions. Among the 11 member states, 9 countries including Belgium, Estonia, Ireland, Croatia, Latvia, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, and Finland have received official notification letters from the European Commission in January this year, but have not yet taken effective measures.
Therefore, the European Commission has decided to send another opinion on the reasons and stated that if a substantive response is not received within two months, it may file a lawsuit with the European Court of Justice and recommend financial sanctions against the member states involved.
In addition, Denmark and France have previously stated that they have completed legislation, but the European Commission has found that some provisions are missing, so it has decided to send formal notification letters to both countries. If the issue cannot be resolved within two months, further reasons and opinions will be sent.
In 2019, the European Union passed the Disposable Plastic Products Regulation, which banned disposable plastic products on a large scale to reduce their harm to the natural environment and human health. The regulation also stipulates that by 2025, 77% of plastic bottles must be recycled, and the proportion of renewable materials in plastic bottles must reach 25%. The above two indicators need to be expanded to 90% and 30% respectively by 2029 and 2030. The EU requires member states to incorporate the regulation into their national laws within two years, but many member states have failed to meet this requirement by the deadline. (Reporter Hu Yanxiao Tao Ye from CCTV)