Reducing plastic carrier bags

11.1.2018

Question for written answer P-000134-18
to the Commission
Rule 130
Dario Tamburrano (EFDD) , Fabio Massimo Castaldo (EFDD) , Daniela Aiuto (EFDD)

In August 2017, Italy transposed Directive 2015/720 banning, as from 1 January 2018, both ‘lightweight’ plastic carrier bags (the subject of the directive is the reduction of their consumption) and all other plastic carrier bags, unless they meet certain requirements relating to composition and/or thickness.

Can the Commission say:

• —Whether the restrictions on marketing plastic carrier bags other than ‘lightweight’ ones will not adversely affect intra-Union free trade, given that Article 2 of Directive 2015/720 permits marketing restrictions only for ‘lightweight’ plastic carrier bags;
• —Whether it is true that the infringement proceedings against Italy regarding the implementation of Directive 2015/720 are still open, and whether it could detail the reasons why;
• —Whether it does not agree that the requirement (introduced by the transposition of Directive 2015/720) to buy and use very lightweight plastic carrier bags in bioplastic for loose food and the ban on re-using carrier bags or using customer-owned shopping bags is not against the spirit of the directive, which aims to reduce the use of packaging and not to increase it, regardless of whether it is compostable or not?

Supporter[1]

• [1] This question is supported by a Member other than the author: Isabella Adinolfi (EFDD).