Activities of Soledad CABEZÓN RUIZ related to 2018/2035(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
A European Strategy for Plastics in a circular economy - Options to address the interface between chemical, product and waste legislation (debate) ES
Amendments (44)
Amendment 70 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas these drawbacks generate wide public concern and attractmong the public and in European society, which is then reflected in the broad media attention that is attracted;
Amendment 75 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas the current political momentum should be used to shift to a circular plastics economy, that in line with the waste hierarchy, gives priority to the prevention of plastic waste generation;
Amendment 83 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
Da. whereas the EU is committed to achieving the objectives of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development;
Amendment 88 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D b (new)
Recital D b (new)
Db. whereas the release of enormous quantities of plastic into the sea has not only an adverse impact on marine resources but also affects economic activities, inter alia by increasing the costs involved in cleaning nets and disposing of litter collected;
Amendment 100 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Believes that preventing the generation of plastic waste upfront and boosting our plastics recycling performance are both key to protecting human health and the environment, and supporting a sustainable economic growth; calls on all stakeholders to consider the recent Chinese import ban on plastic waste as an opportunity tofor investing in state-of-the-art recycling capacity in the EUplastic waste prevention, for developing Eco-design requirements for all plastic and plastic containing products, and for investing in state-of-the-art in the EU for collection and sorting and recycling;
Amendment 103 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Believes that preventing the generation of plastic waste upfront (i.e. from the start of the value chain via circular design), the pressing need for plastic products and parts to be reusable, and boosting our plastics recycling performance are both keythree key aspects; calls on all stakeholders to consider the recent Chinese import ban on plastic waste as an opportunity to invest in state-of-the-art recycling capacity in the EU;
Amendment 113 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Is convinced that the plastics strategy should also serve as a lever for stimulating new, smart and circular business, production and consumption models covering the entire value chainbusiness, consumption and production value chain and which are based on a circular economy model; calls on the Commission to foster clear linkages between the Union’s waste, consumer education, chemicals and product policies to this end;
Amendment 119 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Emphasises that joint actions that are part of the European plastics strategy must involve the entire value chain, although the responsibility for the removal of plastic waste must lie with producers and not with consumers;
Amendment 125 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Urges the Commission to promote research into the impact that the use of plastics currently has on human health; points out, in particular, how important it is to obtain reliable, verifiable scientific data on the effects of the microplastics added to everyday products such as cosmetics and textiles, and the presence of microplastics in drinking water;
Amendment 130 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4b. Is extremely concerned about the environmental impact of the production and incineration of plastics, of the amount of plastic that cannot be recycled, and, in particular, of the quantities of plastic waste that end up in the sea;
Amendment 157 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Calls on the competent authorities in the Member States to ensure that the entire product and waste acquis is fully implemented;
Amendment 161 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Emphasises how important design is in minimising the materials and energy used in production, and how important it is not to use hazardous substances and to increase the possibilities for the re-use and recycling of products sold within the single market; calls for the policies concerned to include circular design criteria (technical requirements on the dismantling, repair and durability of products);
Amendment 163 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Stresses the need to take into consideration the impact of plastics on carbon emissions, calls the Commission to update its "monitoring framework for the circular economy" to integrate indicators specifically for plastics, and in particular to monitor the decoupling of plastic generation from fossil feedstocks;
Amendment 172 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Calls on all industry stakeholdersthe Commission to involve all industry stakeholders, and to persuade them to undertake to deliver concrete actions to ensure that all packaging plastics are reusable or recyclable by 2030, to couple their brand identity to sustainable and circular business models and to use their marketing power to promote and drive sustainable and circular consumption patterns;
Amendment 176 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Calls on Member States to ban landfilling of plastic waste by 2030 and to manage it according to the provisions laid down in Directive 2008/98/EC;
Amendment 180 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Believes that civil society should be duly informed and made aware of new sustainable consumption habits in order, for its part, to be able to hold industry accountable for its commitments; asks the Commission to take this into account in the upcoming ‘New Deal for Consumers’;
Amendment 182 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Believes that civil society should be able to hold industry accountable for its commitmentcarrying out its obligations; asks the Commission to take this into account in the upcoming ‘New Deal for Consumers’;
Amendment 184 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Calls onUrges the Commission to come forward with anfulfil its obligation to update of the essential requirements in the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive by end of 2020, addressing in particular prevention, design for circularity and over-reuse, promoting high quality recycling and the reduction of excessive packaging; in this regard, calls on the Commission to provide clear guidelines on what should be considered "reusable" and "recyclable" plastic packaging;
Amendment 197 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Calls onReminds the Commission to make ‘circularity first’hat prevention is an overarching principle, also for non-packaging plastic items, by developing product standards and revising the eco-design legislative framework and calls on the Commission to further implement this by creating adequate economic and legislative incentives, in particular by broadening the scope of the eco-design legislation to cover all main plastic product groups, including non-energy related product groups, and to gradually include relevant resource efficiency features in the mandatory requirements for product design and to adopt eco- labelling provisions;
Amendment 218 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Calls on the Commission to come forward swiftly with quality standards in order to build trust and incentivise the market for secondary plastics; urges the Commission to develop various grades of recycling which are alignedis compatible with the functionality of different products, while safeguarding public health and food safety;
Amendment 237 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Believes that mandatory rules on the use of minimum recycled content for specific products may be needed in order tonew plastic products, in accordance with product specific legislation concerning health, safety and environment, is a requirement in order to promote recycling, reduce the use of fossil-based virgin plastic, curb the excessive quantity of CO2 emitted in their production and thus drive the uptake of secondary raw materials;
Amendment 262 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Stresses that corporate and public procurement has the power to boost innovation in business models and select products that ensure resource efficiency; calls on the Commission to set up an EU learning network on circular procurement in order to harvest the lessons learnt from pilot projects; believes that voluntary, create a standard template and assessment system for tenders that can be reused in a practical way, together with systematic reporting on rate of circular procurement undertaken by public authorities and large corporate groups; believes that these actions could pave the way for binding rules on public circular procurement and their mandatory integration in sustainability reports;
Amendment 269 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17a. Urges the Commission to promote circular design criteria (technical requirements relating to the dismantling, repair and durability of products) in public procurement, making use of the possibilities offered by Directive 2014/24/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 February 2014 on public procurement and Directive 2014/25/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 February 2014 on procurement by entities operating in the water, energy, transport and postal services sectors;
Amendment 270 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17a. Highlights that local and regional authorities could contribute to the improvement of plastic recycling through their public procurement policies; believes that they should set eco-design criteria for the purchase of products and services by demanding products made of fully recyclable plastics and products, up to a certain percentage, made of recycled content;
Amendment 281 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
Amendment 304 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20a. Highlights that a transformation in consumer behaviour is pivotal in order to reduce plastic waste generation and littering; calls on the Commission and Member States to finance awareness campaigns, including in schools, to inform the public of the benefits of plastic waste prevention and the need to address littering;
Amendment 309 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Takes note of actions already taken in some Member States and therefore supports the Commission in coming forward with a specific legislative framework on single-use plastics with the aim of halting the generation of marine litter in the EU and thereby contributing to the goal of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds; calls on the Commission to base that legislative framework on a strategy for phasing out single-use plastics that takes account of the needs of the various production sectors involved, enabling them to make a gradual and effective transition to a circular economy model;
Amendment 331 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Stresses that there are various pathways to achieving high collection and recycling rates and a reduction in litter, including deposit-refund schemes or extended producer responsibility (EPR) schemes; underlines that the choice of a certain scheme remains within the remit of the competent authority in the Member State, which can take local specificities into account and ensure that any existing well-performing and cost-efficient systems are not jeopardised; stresses that the lack of clear guidelines in the strategy for collecting and storing plastics hampers a circular economy involving all stakeholders; calls on the Commission to draw up a strategy for collection and storage involving regional and local public services in the Member States in order to ensure that this strategy is effective;
Amendment 334 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Stresses that there are various pathways to achieving high collection and recycling rates and a reduction in litter, including deposit-refundturn schemes or extended producer responsibility (EPR) schemes; underlines that the choice of a certain scheme remains within the remit of the competent authority in the Member State, which can take local specificitiesstresses the need that the fees paid by the producer for the fulfilment of its EPR obligations are modulated by taking into account and ensresource that any existing well-performing and cost-efficient systems are not jeopardisedefficiency criteria,; calls on the Commission to consider options for a more unified approach in the EU to deposit schemes;
Amendment 343 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)
Paragraph 23 a (new)
23a. Stresses that effective extended producer responsibility schemes can have a positive environmental impact by reducing the generation of plastic waste and increasing its separate collection and recycling; welcomes the fact that Directive94/62/EC stipulates that Member States shall establish mandatory EPR schemes for all packaging by end of 2024 and calls on the Commission to assess the possibility of extending this obligation to other plastic products in accordance with Article 8 and 8a of Directive 2008/98/EC;
Amendment 352 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Underlines that fiscal policy remains a Member State competence and opposes the introduction of an EU-wide plastics tax as a potential own resource stream for the EU; calls on the Commission to look into the possibility of introducing a tax scheme that will promote sustainable practices based on the circular model, geared in particular to plastics producers;
Amendment 358 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
24a. Welcomes the Commission proposal for a Directive "on port reception facilities" which aims to significantly reduce the burden and costs for fishermen of bringing fishing gear and plastic waste back to the port; underlines the important role that fishermen could play, in particular by collecting plastic waste from the sea during their fishing activity, and bringing it back to the port to undergo proper waste management. Stresses that Commission and Member States should incentivize this activity, so that waste derived from clean- up activities would not be covered by any cost recovery system, and fisherman shall not be charged a fee for its treatment;
Amendment 366 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Strongly supports the Commission in coming forward with clear harmonisedpromoting existing harmonized standards and coming forward with additional standards, where appropriate, with regard to rules on both bio-based content and biodegradability, as a feedstock with specific independent property, in order to tackle existing misconceptions and misunderstandings about bio-plastics and/or biodegradable plastics which can derive from fossil or bio-based feedstock;
Amendment 370 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Strongly supports the Commission in coming forward with clear harmonised rules on both bio-based content and biodegradability, with particular regard to the information provided for consumers on labels, in order to tackle existing misconceptions and misunderstandings about bio-plastics;
Amendment 378 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Highlights the importance of lifecycle assessments in order to demonstrate a reduced environmental impact for all bio-plasticsat fostering a sustainable bio-economy can contribute to decreasing Europe´s dependency on imported raw materials. Bio-based recyclable packaging and compostable biodegradable packaging could represent an opportunity to promote renewable sources for the production of packaging, where shown to be beneficial from life- cycle perspective;
Amendment 386 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Emphasises that biodegradable plastics can help support the transition to a circular economy, but are not a universal remedy against marine litter; calls, therefore, on the Commission to develop a list of useful products and applications composed of biodegradable plastics, together with clear criteriaset of criteria for packaging when, in line with EU harmonized standards, biodegradable plastic would be preferable and provide an indicative list of useful products and applications. The indicative list should be the starting point for further R&D investments and market development of products and applications;
Amendment 398 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Calls for a complete ban on oxo- degradable plastic, as this type of plastic does not safely biodegrade and therefore fails to deliver a proven environmental benefit;
Amendment 403 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
30. Calls on the Commission to introduce a ban on micro-plastics which are intentionally added to products, such as cosmetics and cleaning products, and for which viable alternatives are available; also calls on the Commission to promote more, specific research to ascertain the environmental and health impact of micro-plastics and develop innovative solutions to prevent their dissemination;
Amendment 436 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34
Paragraph 34
34. Welcomes the Commission’s announcement that an additional EUR 100 million will be invested to drive investment towards circular solutions under Horizon 2020 such as design options, the diversification of feedstock and innovative recycling technologies; supports the development of a Strategic Research Innovation Agenda on plastics to guide future funding decisions;
Amendment 445 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34 a (new)
Paragraph 34 a (new)
34a. Calls on the Commission to integrate this strategic R&D agenda on plastics into the new European framework programme for research in order to guarantee sufficient funding and coordination with complementary sectors; calls on the Commission, in this connection, to provide funding for innovative projects using bio-plastics in the health, food and mass consumer products sectors, such as the toy and textile sectors;
Amendment 446 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34 a (new)
Paragraph 34 a (new)
34a. Calls on the Commission and the Council to make resources available to support further research and investment through the next Multiannual Financial Framework and the Research Framework Programme, reiterates the need to support stakeholder cooperation along the entire value chain through public private partnership to develop innovative solutions building on the circular economy model;
Amendment 458 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34 b (new)
Paragraph 34 b (new)
34b. Calls on the Commission to ensure that sufficient funds are invested in research and innovation programmes geared to blue growth that tackle interrelated challenges which are of key importance for a European strategy for plastics, such as the dumping of waste at sea, the removal and recycling of marine litter, the environmental impact on animal species and ecosystems and their recovery, and improvements to port waste reception facilities and vessel recycling systems, among others;
Amendment 466 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35
Paragraph 35
35. Calls on the EU to play a pro-active role in developing a Global Plastics Protocol and to ensure that the various commitments made at both the EU and global levels can be tracked in an integrated and transparent manner; recommends, to this end, that the Commission integrate this protocol into the EU's global ecological and climate diplomacy action, involving the European External Action Service;
Amendment 482 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36 a (new)
Paragraph 36 a (new)
36a. Calls on the EU to actively support the on-going discussions at the United nations and in other international foras, including the G7 and G20, with the aim to strengthen existing tools and develop a new "Global pact for the Environment" which shall include a binding mechanism to halt plastic pollution; stresses that EU should lead by example and ensure they aim for the same level of ambition at the international level as is already aimed for within the European Union;