19 Amendments of Margrete AUKEN related to 2013/2113(INI)
Amendment 1 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 7 a (new)
Citation 7 a (new)
- having regard to Directive 2011/65/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 8 June 2011 on the restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment (RoHS)
Amendment 6 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 18 a (new)
Citation 18 a (new)
- having regard to Decision xxxx/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council on a General Union Environment Action Programme to 2020
Amendment 8 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas plastic waste can persist in the environment for hundreds of years, provoking toxic reactionskilling marine life and releasing endocrine disrupters, carcinogenic elementsubstances that are carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic to reproduction, heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants into ecosystems;
Amendment 16 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas poor implementation and enforcement of EU waste legislation, lack of relevant targets and price mechanisms, illegal dumping and improper transncreasing exports of plastic waste, in particular illegal exports, have led to significant damage to the environment and marine life, and to increases in the export of waste, resulting in loss of materials and employment in the EU and in damage to human health and the environment in the EU and in third countries;
Amendment 26 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas eco-innovation and eco-design in plastic products are crucial to European competitiveness, helping industry adapt to the pressures of sustainable development, high resource prices and scarcity of materials, and developing Key Enabling Technologies (KETs) for a sustainable society;
Amendment 30 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas the EU could benefit in terms of job creation and growth from a robust effort to move towards a balanced, non- toxic, cradle- to-cradle circular economy, based on the concept of waste as a resource; non-hazardous reusable/recyclable waste as a resource and a strict application of the waste hierarchy as laid out in Directive 2008/98/EC;
Amendment 48 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the Commission's Green Paper and recognisesinsists on the need for specific EU legislation on plastic waste, as well as more uniform and rigorous implementation of the existing legislation concerning waste;
Amendment 59 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Stresses that in order to make the EC approach to waste streams more consistent within the framework of the ongoing legislative ‘'fitness check’' and given that some 40 % of plastic waste derives from packaging while the packaging directive is the only one with a specific target for plastic waste collection, it is necessary as a matter of urgency to revise that directive by separating the waste norms pertaining to the environmental sphere from the product rules and standards as such that fall under the umbrella of industrial or trade legislationand to introduce, in line with the waste hierarchy, firstly, clear requirements on prevention both in terms of reducing waste generation and phasing out the use of plastics that rely on hazardous materials/additives, and secondly, reuse targets;
Amendment 68 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Stresses that the EU legislation on plastic waste should define: criteria for the replacement of single-use and short-lived plastic products by reusable materials; the substitution of plastics that rely on hazardous materials and/or hazardous additives; specific targets for prevention, reuse, collection and sorting and mandatory criteria for recyclability (clarifying the distinctions between mechanical/organic recycling and recovery/incineration, which are only applicable to material recycling (mechanical/organic); the aim should be a target of at least 75 % of recycled plastic by 2020);free from hazardous additives by 2020); and finally, specific labelling of materials in order to inform consumers concerning their mechanical or organic recyclability; and, finally, criteria for the replacement of single-use and short-lived plastic products by reusable and more durable materials;lso stresses that EU legislation on plastic waste should identify and remove barriers hindering correct application of the waste hierarchy.
Amendment 81 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Calls for a swift and comprehensive extension of the list of restricted substances in Annex II of RoHS so as to substitute plastic materials and additives that have been found to create major waste problems;
Amendment 90 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Agrees that plastic waste should be treated as a valuable resource by promoting its reuse, recycling, and recovery; believes that a strict application of the waste hierarchy is essential to reap the benefits of plastic waste; believes that in any case landfilling should be banned by 2020, without, however, incentivising as a result the energy recovery option over recycling; considers that, alongside the targets mentioned above for recycling, it is therefore advisable to introduce appropriate sanctions for incineration of recyclable and biodegradable plastics, in order to level the playing field for different plastic types; points out that this would also invert an unsustainable tendency that has until now privileged the use of virgin products over the more expensive recycled ones;
Amendment 105 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Believes that the most dangerous plastics, those that are the most disruptive to human health and the environment (such as micro- and oxo-biodegradable plastics) and those which contain heavy metals that canphthalates, halogenated flame retardants and heavy metals - substances which also make recycling processes more difficult, - should be phased out of the market or banned outright, as soon as possible before 2020; agrees that full transparency about plastic additives is necessary to ensure environmentally sound waste management of plastic waste, to limit toxic externalities and to develop a market for reused and recycled plastic materials; also believes that, as demanded by a majority of European citizens (and consumers), it is finally time to phase out or banthat single-use, non- biodegradable and non- compostable plastic products, also should be phased out before 2020;
Amendment 115 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Calls on the Commission to take steps to substitute non-recyclable plastics;
Amendment 119 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Paragraph 5 b (new)
5b. Strongly regrets the delays with regard to action against single-use plastic bags and calls on the Commission to adopt an ambitious proposal with strong EU reduction targets as soon as possible;
Amendment 126 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Highlights that for biodegradable, bio- based and compostable plastics, adequate measures should be adopted to promote them, provided their production and lifecycle does not impact negatively on the environment or on agricultural output for human or animal consumption; also believes that clearer information on their characteristics should be provided to consumers;
Amendment 140 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Calls for more investment in research and technologies aimed at obtaining more sustainable plastics and a better integration of various types in production processes and reprocessing activities, without affecting the quality of materials; considers that new technologies are also needed for enhanced plastic biodegradation processes, waste sorting methods, mechanical recycling, recovery of plastics from oceans, eco-design and smart packaging; believes that to this end, Horizon 2020 could offer opportunities to respond to this important societal need and that the advantages would be far-reaching, for both the environment and citizens, from the creation of new economic activities to the reduction of marine litter and health-related risks; Also calls for specific measures to ensure a significant reduction in marine litter in Europe, including establishing indicators and a quantitative reduction target for marine litter.
Amendment 151 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Believes that bolder steps must be taken to tackle illegal exports of plastic waste, including stricter enforcement of EU shipment regulations, as well as stricter monitoring and inspections schemes at ports and all waste treatment facilities to ensure that exports only go to facilities that fulfil the requirements of environmentally sound management as laid down in Article 49 of the Waste Shipment Regulation; notes that the application of the extended producer responsibility principle, as well as consumer awareness, have a role to play in preventing illegal exports; believes furthermore that the EU should promote a coherent waste management approach in all possible international forums, agreements and institutions; also considers it essential to have access to reliable, comparable data on waste streams, flows in and out of Europe, volumes and management systems;and common global efforts to significantly reduce plastic waste in the environment in all possible international forums, agreements and institutions; stresses that the EU should lead a global initiative to monitor and significantly reduce marine litter in the oceans; also considers it essential to have access to reliable, comparable data on waste streams, flows in and out of Europe, volumes and management systems; Believes that levies on exports of plastic waste can help drive the development of a secondary raw materials market by ensuring the availability of plastic materials in Europe.
Amendment 157 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Trusts that European municipalities and local governments will make all possible efforts to motivate citizens to adopt a circular economy concept with regard to plastic waste, by supporting the substitution of hazardous plastic materials and additives therein and of non- recyclable plastic materials, by encouraging easy and effective collecting and recycling schemes and establishing adequate collection points for plastic waste, especially in coastal and environmentally vulnerable areas; also believes they could make a major contribution towards harmonising plastic waste management activities throughout Europe by agreeing on common standards and practices;
Amendment 169 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Calls for the establishment of a European Day for plastic waste, on which citizens could return any volume of plastic waste to predetermined points in return for appropriate monetary compensation, as a means of ensuring the supply of recyclable plastic and increasing public awareness of recycling; considers that this event could also include community beachenvironment cleaning activities, as a symbolic contribution to the containment of coastal pollution of the environment caused by plastic waste;