On October 23rd, Parliament approved the final text of the Microplastics Regulation in plenary.
The Regulation, which received the green light from Council last month, will require operators of installations that handle plastic pellets to implement a risk management plan and take measures to prevent losses and ensure containment and clean-up in the event losses do take place.
The Regulation also covers maritime transport, requiring measures on the proper stowage of freight containers with pellets inside as well as on information exchange between the shipper and the carrier.
MEP César Luena (S&D, Spain), rapporteur on the file who led the negotiations on behalf of the Parliament, stated the following regarding the agreement:
“The adoption of ambitious measures on microplastics is a vital step towards protecting our health, environment, and economies. By holding polluters accountable, we can prevent future ecological disasters like those already witnessed in Spain, the Netherlands, and the North Sea, where millions of plastic pellets have washed ashore and contaminated the land. Beyond environmental harm, plastic pollution threatens entire local economies by damaging fisheries, endangering marine biodiversity, and undermining tourism and agriculture.
“We are sending a clear message: our goal is not just to reduce pellet losses — it is to prevent them entirely. European installations, as well as EU and non-EU carriers handling these materials, will now be subject to specific obligations aimed at preventing and controlling such losses.”
Following the approval of both Parliament and the Council, the law will now be officially signed by both legislators. Afterwards it will be published in the Official Journal and enter into force 20 days after its publication.
