After a study carried out in Italy, Greece, France and Spain, the MEP Pascal Canfin sometimes notes a lack of political will to ban the sale of cutlery or plastic straws, as required by the European directive.
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Two years after its entry into force, the European directive which prohibits the marketing of single-use plastic products is not fully applied, according to the conclusions of a report written by Renaissance MEP Pascal Canfin and revealed by franceinfo on Thursday July 20. This text entered into force on July 3, 2021 and prohibits the marketing of ten single-use plastic products (straws, cotton swabs, cutlery, plates, etc.) which represent 70% of the waste found in the seas bordering Europe.
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In this report, four countries were scrutinized by the Renaissance MEP who chairs the Environment Committee of the European Parliament, Greece, Italy, France and Spain. Among these four European states, Italy appears to be the worst student according to the conclusions of this report. For Pascal Canfin, “Italy has transposed the European text very badly. There is no control that is carried out and ultimately no sanction. We are therefore at degree zero in the fight against single-use plastics.“, he complains. For him, the responsibility lies with the Italian government which does not make ecology its priority. The country “has introduced exceptions that alter the scope of the Directive“, details the report.
France can do better
Pascal Canfin, on the other hand, welcomes the initiatives taken in the Spanish Balearic Islands, which are precursors in the fight against plastic. All of this “results in checks“, explains the MEP. They are aimed in particular at “merchants for example, restaurants, bars, convenience stores along the beaches but also by sanctions which have very high levels“. In the Balearic Islands, the authorities received “nearly 150 complaints” regarding single-use plastic products. They said “penalties ranging from 9,000 euros to 300,000 euros against brands such as McDonald’s or Burger King“, says the report.
Finally, in the case of France, the checks only started on July 1st and “at this stage no sanction has been carried out, it is now necessary to go through this phase“, requires Pascal Canfin. The MEP even calls on the French to report offenders to the repression of fraud. As far as Greece is concerned, the report considers that the country “has complied with all the provisions of the directive“.