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Maandag 22 april 2024 - Straatsburg

17. Voorkomen van het verlies van kunststofpellets om de vervuiling door microplastics te verminderen (debat)

  Puhemies. – Esityslistalla on seuraavana João Albuquerquen ympäristön, kansanterveyden ja elintarvikkeiden turvallisuuden valiokunnan puolesta laatima mietintö ehdotuksesta Euroopan parlamentin ja neuvoston asetukseksi muovipellettihävikin estämisestä mikromuovisaasteen vähentämiseksi (COM(2023)0645 – C9—0378/2023 – 2023/0373(COD)) (A9-0148/2024)

  João Albuquerque, relator. – Senhora Presidente, Senhora Comissária, no final do ano passado, em plena época natalícia, as notícias que nos chegavam da Galiza fizeram muitos de nós recordar a tragédia do petroleiro Prestige. Infelizmente, este desastre ambiental, em que 26 toneladas de péletes de plástico invadiram as belíssimas praias do norte de Espanha, está muito longe de ser um fenómeno isolado.

Os péletes são a terceira principal causa de poluição não intencional por microplásticos. E sabemos hoje que os microplásticos já entraram na nossa cadeia alimentar e, por essa via, estão já hoje presentes nos nossos próprios organismos.

Anualmente, são produzidos 57 milhões de toneladas de péletes de plástico apenas na União Europeia e as estimativas apontam – atentem bem –, para o equivalente a 7 300 camiões cheios de péletes a serem perdidos todos os anos apenas no nosso espaço europeu.

Para nos ajudar a perceber a importância deste regulamento, peço-vos que se recordem do esforço hercúleo de centenas de voluntários a tentarem limpar a areia das suas praias e que tenham em conta, também, uma informação que me marcou profundamente.

Em conversa com uma das presidentes de câmara da Galiza, dizia-me ela que, para conseguirmos limpar cerca de 25 kg de péletes, é necessária a remoção de uma tonelada de areia. E isto é o que se consegue remover. Fica a faltar tudo o resto que se perde no mar, ou que é consumido pelos animais e que tem efeitos devastadores nos ecossistemas.

Por tudo isto, por todas estas razões, é mais do que evidente que, após uma perda não intencional destes péletes, a sua remoção do ambiente é um processo não só inglório e custoso, mas também demorado e altamente disruptivo. Foi por isso que recebemos com entusiasmo a proposta da Comissão Europeia de elaborar um regulamento que enfrente este problema ambiental e de saúde pública.

O que podemos, então, fazer? Para nós, a resposta foi clara: só através de medidas fortemente focadas na prevenção é possível reduzir estas perdas para o meio ambiente de forma bastante considerável e reduzir o impacto negativo no ambiente, na saúde humana e também na economia.

Relativamente à proposta da Comissão Europeia, saudamos a escolha da base e do instrumento legal, a sua visão de integrar toda a cadeia de abastecimento na regulamentação e as tentativas de reforçar a aplicação das medidas previstas neste regulamento. Mas a urgência e a importância desta legislação obrigavam-nos a sermos um pouco mais ambiciosos. E foi este, também, o sinal que recebi de vários Estados—Membros.

Neste sentido, enquanto relator do Parlamento Europeu, procurei fortalecer a proposta que nos chegou da Comissão e torná-la num regulamento exequível e implementável, em vez de apenas numa série de recomendações.

A proposta final que votaremos amanhã contou com um amplo apoio da Comissão do Ambiente e eu gostaria de destacar os principais pontos que procurámos introduzir no texto legislativo: introduzir a obrigação de rotular os recipientes em contentores de armazenamento e transporte que contenham péletes de plástico; expandir a aplicação do regulamento a todos os meios de transporte, incluindo o marítimo; incluir medidas adicionais, aplicáveis ao transporte marítimo, para garantir maior segurança dos contentores e evitar a sua perda acidental; introduzir uma certificação única para pequenas empresas que manuseiem mais de 1 000 toneladas de péletes de plástico por ano; reduzir o período de autodeclaração de conformidade, para médias e grandes empresas, de cinco para três anos; tornar obrigatório o anexo I, que cobre as medidas de avaliação interna, permitindo, no entanto, flexibilidade às empresas na sua implementação, de acordo com as especificidades das suas instalações; introduzir a possibilidade de os Estados-Membros utilizarem as receitas geradas pelas sanções para apoiar projetos destinados a limpar zonas poluídas por plásticos e a evitar a poluição por péletes de plástico; exortar a Comissão Europeia a monitorizar os desenvolvimentos no âmbito da Organização Marítima Internacional; instar a Comissão a avaliar a possibilidade de introduzir a rastreabilidade química das péletes de plástico e, por fim, ter em atenção as especificidades de micro e pequenas empresas, com a introdução de regimes especiais de acordo com a quantidade de péletes que manuseiam.

Em suma, e como tentei demonstrar, esta é uma proposta consistente, que equilibra o fortalecimento das medidas de fácil implementação e baixo custo na área da prevenção, ao mesmo tempo que procura não sobrecarregar as empresas da indústria europeia de péletes.

Mais importante do que tudo, é que este regulamento aposta fortemente nas únicas três formas eficazes de combater a perda de péletes de plástico: prevenção, prevenção e prevenção. Estou certo de que amanhã contarei com todos vós para votarmos favoravelmente esta proposta e definirmos a posição ambiciosa do Parlamento.

  Maria Spyraki, rapporteur for the opinion of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy. – Madam President, dear Commissioner, dear colleagues, when it comes to microplastic leakage, prevention is the only solution. Tackling the unintentional release of plastic pellets addresses a serious problem, not only for our environment, but also for our health. This proposal for a regulation aims to ensure that all operators handling pellets in the EU take the necessary precautionary measures.

As the rapporteur on behalf of the ITRE Committee, it is important to highlight that we agree on, first, the non-binding recommendation adopted by the parties to the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic, which will be taken into account. Second, the period of six months after entering into force to develop awareness-raising and training on the implementation of the regulation. It is also important to highlight that funds will be available to develop training material. Assistance for SMEs (small and medium enterprises) could take the form of specialised management and staff training, organisational and technical assistance. This provision can also be in the form of financial support and access to finance, including the acquisition of equipment required to achieve compliance.

Tomorrow we will vote in favour of a key step towards our commitment to reduce microplastics pollution by 30 % by 2030. It is important to have consistency in our policies. As we examined in the single-use plastic case, we need to reduce the lack of alternatives and performance, as well as the low awareness of our citizens, in order to bring sufficient and highly functional alternatives.

  Ylva Johansson, Member of the Commission. – Madam President, honourable Members, thank you for scheduling the Parliament’s first reading on this important proposal, which is a crucial element of EU action against microplastic pollution. Pellet losses are the third largest source of unintentional microplastic releases. This proposal will help us reduce them and achieve the 30% reduction target we set for microplastics in the Zero Pollution Action Plan.

Microplastic pollution caused by pellets is a significant problem. In 2019, between 52 000 and 184 000 tonnes of pellets were lost to the environment in the European Union. Plastic pellet losses at all stages of the supply chain cause negative impacts on the environment and, potentially, on human health. They are a persistent source of pollution of our rivers, seas and the ocean. Once in the environment, plastic pellets are difficult and costly to clean up. Accidental losses, like those off the coast of Spain and Portugal earlier this year, are occasional, but can create sudden and significant negative impacts on affected communities, livelihoods and ecosystems.

Reducing microplastic pollution directly benefits the fishing and aquaculture sectors, as well as other sectors, like tourism. It is an excellent example where protecting the environment goes hand in hand with supporting local economic activities. Therefore, with our proposal, we aim to prevent and reduce pellet losses by up to 74%. This will take us closer to our ‘Zero Pollution’ ambition, with a minimal burden on SMEs.

The Commission welcomes warmly the support of the European Parliament for the proposal and many of the proposed improvements of its core elements. These improvements concern in particular the definitions, the key handling requirements for all actors and stages of the pellet supply chain, and the compliance check system. They also concern the annual 1 000 tonne threshold for third-party certification, and the lighter requirements for microenterprises, as well as the assistance to stakeholders to comply with the requirements and the standardised methodology to estimate pellet losses.

However, the text being discussed today also contains a number of changes on which the Commission needs, at this stage, to reserve its position. These include new obligations for economic operators such as labelling all storage and transport containers, shorter deadlines for notifying renewals of risk assessment plans and self-declarations, and making all the measures listed in Annex I mandatory.

We are concerned about the new obligations for small enterprises, notably about mandating third-party certification, annual internal assessment and awareness and training programme, and also about new obligations for non-EU carriers. We need to look carefully at the new obligations for the competent national authorities and for the Commission.

Overall, our priority is to strike the right balance between ambition and feasibility. For that, we must continue to aim for a simple and coherent framework for the responsible handling of pellets. We need, for sure, a radical change, away from the laxness of the current approach and the poor handling at all stages. At the same time, we should avoid an excessive burden on our economic operators.

Regarding the broadening of the regulation’s scope to include maritime transports of pellets, as maritime transport is international in nature. The Commission is determined to continue to work on global rules in the International Maritime Organisation to ensure harmonisation of international, national and regional rules. In particular, it is important that mandatory rules are agreed on three aspects: transport information, quality packaging and safe storage.

At the same time, the Commission is open to consider inclusion of maritime transport of pellets in the regulation, provided that coherence with the developments at the International Maritime Organisation is ensured, and that the competitiveness of the European industry is not jeopardised. I look forward to listening to your views and your suggestions.

  Deirdre Clune, on behalf of the PPE Group. – Madam President and Commissioner, tomorrow, this Parliament will vote on the world’s first ever piece of legislation aiming to prevent spillages of plastic pellets at all stages along the supply chain.

Losses of these plastic pellets, which are the base material for manufacturing plastic products, are the third largest source of unintentional microplastic releases in the EU. According to the European Chemicals Agency, almost 180 000 metric tons of plastic pellets are accidentally or unintentionally released into the environment each year. Microplastic pollution is not only a serious problem for the environment, but also for public health. Once microplastics enter our environment, it is almost impossible to get rid of them.

That’s why I’m supporting this measure – and I’d urge that we all would tomorrow – because it will prevent microplastic spillages in road, rail and maritime transport. It is a practical, realistic proposal that will work, and the new law is particularly timely given the millions of plastic pellets that were washed up on the coast of Spain and Portugal, the north-western Galicia region, in January of this year. The incident has caused major disruption, threatening to endanger wildlife and posing a serious risk to the livelihoods of fishery communities and tourism communities in that area.

So the proposal, which will address the release of plastic pellets into our environment, will apply to European and non-European operators. It will set requirements for best handling practices. Mandatory certification and self-declaration will be measures which will be put in place. Importantly, however, lighter requirements will apply to micro and small operators.

This regulation is expected, as it is been said, to reduce the release by up to 74% of microplastics. It would result in healthier ecosystems, contributing to plastic-free rivers and oceans and, of course, reducing risks to human health. I am a strong believer that prevention is the best solution, and here we have a very practical proposal, and I want to thank the rapporteur and the other shadows for all the work that he did and that we did on this file.

  Mohammed Chahim, namens de S&D-Fractie. – Voorzitter, ik zie, ik zie wat jij niet ziet. En het zijn … microplastics. Onzichtbaar, maar ze zitten in je dagcrème, in ons water en ons eten. Hoe kleiner het deeltje, hoe groter het risico.

Nu praten we over microplastics, maar we kunnen het net zo goed hebben over pfas of pesticiden. Een giftige cocktail van chemicaliën die op allerlei manieren op ons bord en in de natuur terechtkomen. Afzonderlijk vormen zij al een gevaar, maar ook het stapeleffect is zeer zorgwekkend. Helaas wegen voor sommige partijen in dit Parlement de economische belangen zwaarder dan gezondheidsrisico’s. De lobby van de chemische industrie is in tegenstelling tot die van microplastics wel zichtbaar. Daar heb je geen vergrootglas voor nodig.

Voor mij is het glashelder: belangen van de markt mogen nooit boven mens en milieu komen te staan. Met dit voorstel van mijn collega Albuquerque denk ik dat we in de goede richting gaan om zo min mogelijk microplastics en plastic pellets in de natuur te laten terechtkomen.

  Catherine Chabaud, au nom du groupe Renew. – Madame la Présidente, Madame la Commissaire, mes chers collègues, je me félicite que l’on puisse clôturer la première lecture du Parlement avant la fin du mandat et que ce dossier essentiel ait résisté aux vents contraires anti-Pacte vert qui soufflent depuis quelques mois sur notre maison. Merci au rapporteur et aux rapporteurs fictifs pour leur bonne collaboration.

Il faut bien comprendre une chose: les industriels eux-mêmes tentent depuis des décennies de mettre en place de bonnes pratiques face aux pollutions liées aux pertes de granulés plastiques qu’ils ont eux-mêmes constatées. Toutefois, leurs efforts ne suffisent pas et c’est là que l’on comprend la nécessité de mettre en place des normes – que bon nombre contestent aujourd’hui – et de le faire a minima à l’échelon européen, en espérant, comme je le promeus, qu’un cadre réglementaire voie le jour à l’échelle internationale, soit via le traité contre la pollution plastique, soit via les recommandations de l’Organisation maritime internationale. Je me félicite aussi de l’introduction du transport maritime dans ce texte et de la possibilité pour les États membres d’utiliser les pénalités envisagées pour soutenir des projets de dépollution là où c’est encore possible.

Enfin, si vous me le permettez, Madame la Présidente, je profite de cette dernière intervention au Parlement européen pour lancer un appel afin que la prochaine mandature mette en œuvre un véritable pacte bleu, un pacte européen pour l’océan, qui reflète la dimension maritime de l’Union européenne et que nous travaillions à régénérer l’océan, notre bien commun.

  Ska Keller, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group. – Madam President, plastic particles have been found in the Antarctic. They have been found in the deep sea. They are harming flora and fauna, they are harming humans. And those particles, they come from tyres, from panes, from landscape fabric, from textiles, etc. from many other things. And they come from plastic pellets, flakes and powders that are supposed to be the base material for all things plastic but end up in the environment because of careless handling or because of accidents. Last December, on the coast of Galicia – an example which has been mentioned by many colleagues – more than 1 billion plastic particles were lost into the sea, but even that huge amount is not even 1 % of the yearly losses of plastic pellets.

So urgent action is needed. What we are setting out to do with this legislation is exactly that urgent action. For preventing pallet losses, we don’t need some new invention, we don’t need some crazy new technologies. We need better handling. We need better measures for transport, precautionary measures, a cleaning system in place. And we also need to know who’s responsible for when things go wrong and what they have to do then, because it’s not about harassing small enterprises, it’s about making sure that some people who are making profit with the product are not harming the environment that we all depend on.

This legislation is certainly not the end game in a battle against plastic pollution. But it’s a good start and one start that we have managed to improve also in the committee. I would like to thank the commission for the proposal and also the rapporteur and our shadow rapporteur. Next it’s up for the Council to be ambitious, and I hope that ministers will bring back some resolve from Canada, where they are currently discussing global plastic pollution. And if you want to lead in the world, we should start at home.

  Aurélia Beigneux, au nom du groupe ID. – Madame la Présidente, Madame la Commissaire, pour cette ultime séance plénière, vous avez enfin décidé d’aborder la pollution par les microplastiques, une question cruciale qui affecte notre environnement, notre santé et notre avenir. Cette menace invisible représente un défi auquel nous devons faire face pour nos générations, mais surtout pour les générations futures, dont nos enfants, qui en seront les premières victimes.

Mais quand je regarde en arrière, qu’a fait cette Commission durant ce mandat pour réduire son impact? Rien, absolument rien. Qu’a-t-elle fait pour remettre en cause sa politique ultralibérale? Rien, absolument rien. Cette politique, votre politique, a déversé dans nos océans des millions de tonnes de microplastiques. Ces déchets sont le résultat final d’une volonté de toujours plus de surconsommation, toujours plus d’importations inutiles, toujours plus de traités de libre-échange dévastateurs.

Il est temps de mettre fin à cette approche totalement irresponsable et de placer la protection de notre environnement au cœur de nos priorités. Depuis des années, mon parti en France, le Rassemblement National, défend une politique plus ancrée dans l’environnement. Cette approche, c’est le localisme. Cette vision de l’écologie du réel manque cruellement à cette Commission. Elle refuse ces tonnes de marchandises produites à l’autre bout du monde par des enfants souvent réduits en esclavage. Du bon sens, mais que les technocrates ici présents n’arrivent pas à admettre.

Le choix est donc clair: allons-nous continuer sur la voie du libéralisme aveugle, ou allons-nous enfin embrasser une approche localiste, responsable, et qui met l’accent sur la préservation de notre planète? Ce choix, nous l’aurons tous le 9 juin prochain en choisissant la seule liste qui se préoccupe réellement de l’écologie enracinée et qui dira stop à la folie de Bruxelles et à ses traités de libre-échange.

  Marina Mesure, au nom du groupe The Left. – Madame la Présidente, le combat du siècle a commencé. La lutte contre la pollution plastique est probablement l’une des plus importantes de notre époque. Alors que les déchets plastiques prolifèrent dans le monde sous différentes formes, visibles ou invisibles, nous commençons seulement à réaliser leur dangerosité sur l’environnement et notre santé. Le plastique se fragmente continuellement et les particules deviennent si fines qu’elles sont transportées dans l’air, dans l’eau et dans le sol. Ces microplastiques nous entourent, s’imposent à nous et sont devenus une véritable bombe à retardement pour notre santé et notre écosystème, en contaminant les habitats terrestres et aquatiques.

Dans ce contexte, l’Union européenne a une responsabilité historique: celle de porter une législation ambitieuse permettant de limiter drastiquement la prolifération des déchets plastiques, de contrôler les pertes de granulés plastiques dans la chaîne d’approvisionnement – ce qui représente 23 milliards de petites billes plastiques qui finissent chaque jour dans l’environnement de l’Union européenne – et de sanctionner évidemment fermement les entreprises qui contreviennent à ces règles.

Je salue cette législation, mais il faudra aller beaucoup plus loin, en transformant durablement nos modes de production et de consommation, afin d’éliminer le plus possible le plastique de notre quotidien. Il s’agit là d’un enjeu vital pour toutes et tous.

  Maria Angela Danzì (NI). – Signora Presidente, signora Commissaria, onorevoli colleghi, dobbiamo impedire la dispersione della plastica. Le microplastiche si disperdono ovunque: nell'aria, nell'acqua, nel suolo, nei terreni agricoli e noi le ingeriamo mangiando gli alimenti contaminati.

Occuparsi di questo problema significa occuparsi della salute nel suo complesso. Un recente studio italiano dimostra che molte malattie, come il rischio di ictus e infarto, sono causate dalle microplastiche. Dobbiamo agire alla fonte e lo stiamo facendo. Più prevenzione significa meno malati, significa meno pressione sui nostri sistemi sanitari devastati. Ogni misura come questa contribuisce all'abbattimento, come vi contribuiva anche il provvedimento sugli imballaggi e il riuso.

Oggi si celebra la Giornata mondiale della Terra. Il tema dell'edizione è proprio questo. In 190 paesi del mondo i cittadini sono in strada proprio per dare questo grido disperato. Diamo loro la parola. Questo è un buon provvedimento.

  Francisco José Millán Mon (PPE). – Señora presidenta, en primer lugar me gustaría dar las gracias al ponente por su informe. Celebro que por primera vez vaya a haber una regulación específica sobre la prevención de las pérdidas de granza de plástico de pélets en la Unión Europea.

El reciente vertido de pélets del Toconao en aguas del Atlántico puso de relieve la conveniencia de que el transporte marítimo de los pélets sea incluido en el ámbito de aplicación de este Reglamento. Yo mismo presenté enmiendas en este sentido hace unos meses junto con mi compañera de delegación Dolors Montserrat.

Celebro que la posición del Parlamento vaya en esta dirección. La propuesta original de la Comisión Europea era demasiado limitada —como es bien sabido— en esta materia de transporte marítimo. Por supuesto —nos lo recordaba la comisaria— es necesario que la Unión Europea y los Estados miembros sigan abordando este importante asunto también en el marco de la Organización Marítima Internacional (OMI), donde parece que se están dando pasos en la buena dirección, pero todavía insuficientes.

En este sentido, celebro que el pasado mes de marzo el Comité de Protección del Medio Marino de la OMI aprobara las recomendaciones para el transporte marítimo de pélets de plástico en contenedores. Entiendo que estas recomendaciones no tienen todavía carácter vinculante. Y, señora comisaria, me gustaría que nos informara sobre los pasos que se van a dar en el marco de la propia OMI para que estas recomendaciones pronto puedan convertirse en derecho vinculante.

Volviendo al ámbito de la Unión Europea, espero que el Consejo adopte también una posición ambiciosa en lo que se refiere al transporte marítimo. Confío en que de esta forma los diálogos tripartitos sean fructíferos y podamos conseguir avances para prevenir la contaminación por microplásticos en el transporte marítimo.

Una última consideración: quería subrayar el esfuerzo que tuvo que hacer el Gobierno de la Junta de Galicia en la gestión del vertido de pélets del Toconao, que implementó un gran despliegue de medidas —además en mar y aire— más allá de sus competencias. Lamento el uso electoralista que hacen algunos del accidente sucedido en aguas del Atlántico, sin importarle los perjuicios que podía causar al sector pesquero, tan importante en mi tierra.

Espero que ahora el Gobierno de España se ponga en marcha y ejerza sus competencias, en particular procediendo a reclamar al armador del buque la correspondiente responsabilidad por los daños producidos y los gastos en que se incurrió.

  Tiemo Wölken (S&D). – Frau Präsidentin, liebe Kolleginnen und Kollegen! Es ist ein echt gutes Zeichen, dass wir als Europäisches Parlament den Vorschlag der Europäischen Kommission zur Vermeidung von Mikroplastik in der Umwelt noch einmal verschärfen konnten. Ich möchte insbesondere unserem Berichterstatter João für die harte Arbeit an diesem Bericht danken.

Ich glaube, es ist sehr deutlich geworden, dass wir im Europäischen Parlament uns wirklich darum sorgen, dass Mikroplastik in der Umwelt nichts verloren hat, denn Mikroplastik ist tatsächlich nicht nur für die Umwelt, sondern auch für uns Menschen schädlich.

Deswegen ist es richtig, dass wir heute, am Tag der Erde, hier über dieses wichtige Vorhaben gemeinsam diskutieren und darüber abstimmen werden und dass wir hier im Europäischen Parlament jetzt ein klares Zeichen setzen, dass wir wollen, dass es, wenn mit Mikroplastik umgegangen wird, verbindliche Regeln für diejenigen gibt, die diesen Stoff transportieren – und das haben wir mit diesem Vorschlag sehr deutlich gemacht. Und es wird vor allen Dingen auch klar, dass wir wollen, dass Verantwortung dafür übernommen wird, wenn dieser Stoff transportiert wird.

Insofern hoffe ich, dass wir morgen mit der Abstimmung sehr deutlich machen, dass wir eine klare Mehrheit für diesen so wichtigen Bericht haben werden. Vielen Dank, João, für die harte Arbeit daran.

  Nils Torvalds (Renew). – Fru talman! Fru kommissionär! Vi har under årens lopp fattat ett antal beslut kring plast. Det började kanske på ett lite politiskt sätt med förslaget om engångsplast, där det kanske handlade mer om att samla poäng än om att lösa problem.

Av den orsaken hälsar vi med stor tacksamhet kommissionens förslag välkommen. Men vi vet att vi har större utmaningar i framtiden. Vi vet att plastpellets för med sig inte bara mikroplast utan också nanoplast. Och får vi inte ordning på det här kommer vi snart att ha – inte bara i kommissionens hjärna utan också i parlamentarikernas hjärna – mer nanoplast än vad som är hälsosamt för beslut och hälsa.

Jag vill också använda det här tillfället, eftersom det är mitt sista tal efter tolv år i Europaparlamentet, att tacka mina kollegor – främst mina kollegor som är samordnare i miljöutskottet – för ett gott samarbete, där vi har fått göra en hel del arbete för att få kommissionens förslag på något sätt i hamn. Det är ett arbete som kommer att fortsätta också efter det att jag lämnar över ansvaret åt andra.

  Ana Miranda (Verts/ALE). – Senhora Presidente, como eurodeputada galega, este debate é importantíssimo para o meu país, a Galiza. O desastre ambiental da perda dos péletes de plástico na costa da Galiza foi uma evidência da falta de resposta do governo galego. Senhor Millán Mon, foi uma autêntica irresponsabilidade do governo do Partido Popular.

Saúdo as palavras do relator. Sempre presente e sempre a ajudar para que não se repitam estes desastres, com prevenção, com armazenamento seguro. Muito obrigada!

Queremos evitar que se repitam eventos como o acidente do navio porta-contentores. Falei recentemente com a presidente da câmara de Muros. E ouça o Senhor, ouça o Partido Popular, ela diz que continuam a chegar os péletes, que continua a chegar a maré branca, e que estão com muitas dificuldades.

Assim, não venham aqui mentir, porque este é, sem dúvida, Senhora Comissária, um problema europeu e, por isso, queremos que se inclua o transporte marítimo, que se inclua o transporte obrigatório e a responsabilidade, para que povos como o meu, na Galiza, não continuem a ser os que recebem marés de petróleo e marés de microplásticos.

  Anja Haga (PPE). – Voorzitter, kunststofpellets, ook wel nurdles genoemd, zijn plastic korreltjes die gebruikt worden als basis voor plastic producten. Het probleem van dit product is dat het door containerschepen wordt vervoerd, er gaat een container overboord en je raadt al wat er met die korrels gebeurt: die belanden op de stranden. Vijf jaar geleden gebeurde dat bij mij in de buurt, in Noord—Friesland, op de Waddeneilanden. Ze waren bezaaid met al die plastic korrels. Verschrikkelijk, want die kan je niet meer opruimen. Ze blijven in het milieu liggen en ze vergaan tot microplastics. Daarom ben ik heel erg blij dat er nu een voorstel klaarligt om dit aan te pakken.

Persoonlijk vind ik het voorstel niet ver genoeg gaan. We zouden gewoon helemaal af moeten van wegwerpplastic en waar we dan toch nog plastic producten nodig hebben, moeten ze gemaakt worden van biogebaseerde materialen. Ook die pellets moeten dus gemaakt worden van biogebaseerde materialen. Als die in het milieu terechtkomen, vergaan ze en zo voorkomen we dat er microplastics ontstaan, dat dieren ze opeten en erin stikken of verhongeren omdat hun maag vol zit met die korreltjes.

Kortom, we moeten af van alle goedkope wegwerpplastics. Het verbod op pellets is een goed begin, maar ze worden nu alleen maar in grote hoeveelheden verboden. Dat is een mooie start, maar niet voldoende. Wat mij betreft, komt er een totaalverbod op wegwerpplastics en op kunststofpellets.

  Marek Paweł Balt (S&D). – Pani Przewodnicząca! Pani Komisarz! Obecnie mamy poważny problem dla naszego ekosystemu, dla zdrowia ludzkiego i gospodarki, ponieważ w oceanach i morzach znajdują się ponad dwa miliony ton drobin mikroplastiku. Przy jednoczesnej rocznej produkcji ponad 430 milionów ton tworzyw sztucznych, z których dwie trzecie stanowią produkty szybko wyrzucane, tych zanieczyszczeń będzie przybywać. Mikroplastik trafia do oceanu, a potem do naszej żywności poprzez nieodpowiednie obchodzenie się z granulatem i jego transportem.

Dzięki naszemu rozporządzeniu chcemy zmniejszyć straty granulatu o trzy czwarte. Wymagamy od wykonawców i przewoźników, aby zapobiegali wyciekom granulatu, zabezpieczali rozsypany granulat oraz sprzątali po rozsypaniu lub stracie granulatu. Te i inne szczegółowe wymogi będą wymagane od przewoźników unijnych oraz od przewoźników spoza Unii Europejskiej.

Redukując uwalnianie granulatu z tworzyw sztucznych do środowiska, to rozporządzenie doprowadzi do stworzenia czystych i zdrowszych ekosystemów, co jest kluczowe dla dobrobytu obywateli i zachowania naszej planety dla przyszłych pokoleń.

  Caroline Roose (Verts/ALE). – Madame la Présidente, saviez-vous qu’à une heure du Parlement européen à Bruxelles, un drame environnemental est en cours? Dans la petite ville d’Écaussinnes, en Belgique, un complexe pétrochimique appartenant à TotalEnergies produit 1,2 million de tonnes de granulés de plastique par an. Une partie de ces granulés se perdent. Ils finissent dans les sols, les cours d’eau, les rivières, puis les océans, tuant oiseaux marins et poissons à petit feu. Total et ses amis de la pétrochimie refusent d’assumer leurs responsabilités et se renvoient la balle. Écaussines, malheureusement, n’est pas un cas isolé. Le problème se pose partout dans le monde, comme on l’a vu sur les plages en Galice, et cause une pollution gigantesque.

Cette semaine, le Parlement européen va voter un règlement pour enfin s’attaquer à ce problème. C’est une vraie avancée et nous voterons en faveur de ce texte, qui renforce la proposition de la Commission. Seuls les eurodéputés d’extrême droite, dont ceux du Rassemblement national, s’y opposent. Comme d’habitude, ils préfèrent favoriser les lobbies de la pétrochimie plutôt que l’avenir de nos océans, de nos rivières et de notre santé.

  Sara Cerdas (S&D). – Senhora Presidente, Senhora Comissária, Colegas, a invenção do plástico revolucionou as nossas vidas, mas também trouxe consigo uma maldição ambiental e uma ameaça à saúde humana.

Os microplásticos estão hoje presentes em todos os ecossistemas. Estão no mar, estão no ar, estão nos animais, estão nos vegetais. Encontramo-los em todas as etapas da cadeia alimentar e provocam consequências hormonais, imunológicas ou mesmo oncológicas, apenas para enumerar algumas.

A proposta da Comissão é um passo na direção certa, mas é tardia e faltava-lhe a ambição para a verdadeira resolução deste problema. E, aqui, saúdo as alterações propostas pelo meu colega, João Albuquerque, em nome deste Parlamento, que vão mais além. O desafio foi grande, mas conseguiram.

Com este relatório vamos mais longe na prevenção e mitigação dos riscos dos microplásticos para a saúde humana, para a saúde ambiental, para a saúde animal. A história julgará o que fizemos ou que deixámos de fazer para proteger o nosso planeta. Vamos garantir que a resposta ao desafio seja feita com determinação, com coragem e com compromisso para um futuro sustentável.

  Πέτρος Κόκκαλης (Verts/ALE). – Κυρία Πρόεδρε, με την Πράσινη Συμφωνία έχουμε δεσμευτεί στην πορεία για έναν κόσμο με μηδενική ρύπανση, έναν κόσμο λιγότερο τοξικό και επικίνδυνο για τον άνθρωπο. Μιλάμε σήμερα λοιπόν για τα μέτρα μείωσης της πλαστικής ρύπανσης σε έναν κόσμο γεμάτο από πλαστικά, μικροπλαστικά και νανοπλαστικά που πλέον βρίσκονται παντού: στη θάλασσα, στην τροφική αλυσίδα και στα σώματά μας, αφού ο καθένας και η καθεμία από εμάς τρώει περίπου 5 γραμμάρια πλαστικό την εβδομάδα. Μια τράπουλα τον χρόνο. Η τελική, λοιπόν, αυτή συμφωνία βελτίωσε την πρόταση της Επιτροπής, θεσπίζοντας υποχρεωτικά μέτρα για όλους τους μεταφορείς, αυστηρότερες κυρώσεις για τους μεγάλους μεταφορείς, συμπερίληψη όλων των θαλασσίων μεταφορών και προσθήκη όλων των προπλαστικών μορφών στο πεδίο εφαρμογής.

Είναι πολύ σημαντικό ότι τα πρόστιμα για τη μη συμμόρφωση θα κατευθύνονται σε έργα που αποσκοπούν στον καθαρισμό των περιοχών που πλήττονται από απώλειες πέλλετ. Με την υιοθέτηση λοιπόν μιας ολοκληρωμένης προσέγγισης που συνδυάζει τεχνολογικές, κανονιστικές, εκπαιδευτικές και συνεργατικές προσπάθειες, είναι δυνατόν να ελαχιστοποιηθούν οι απώλειες πλαστικών πέλλετ, και να μειωθεί ο αντίκτυπος της ρύπανσης από πλαστικά στο περιβάλλον, στη θάλασσα και στον ανθρώπινο οργανισμό.

  Grace O’Sullivan (Verts/ALE). – Madam President, an estimated 230 000 tonnes of plastic pellets are spilled into our oceans every year. These tiny, durable objects can end up anywhere and are increasingly found in every marine habitat. This is devastating to vulnerable ecosystems, but also to human health. As these beads make their way up the food chain to us. So we must do more to protect our marine environment and prevent this toxic pollution entering our waterways and our oceans.

On this note, I welcome today the announcement by my Irish Green colleague and Government Minister, Malcolm Noonan, of the establishment of Ireland’s first marine National Park, incorporating seas off Dingle Peninsula in County Kerry. So across Europe, we must take decisive action to tackle the scourge of plastic pellets, safeguard our marine ecosystems and preserve the health of our oceans for now and for future generations.

Pyynnöstä myönnettävät puheenvuorot

  Nicolás González Casares (S&D). – Señora presidenta, en mi tierra, en Galicia, sufrimos hace unos meses un vertido dañino de pélets. La gente tuvo que recogerlo mientras el Gobierno regional la abandonaba ante esta contaminación, que luego supimos que no solo era dañina para los ecosistemas, sino que podía serlo también para la salud humana.

Por lo tanto, nos congratulamos de esta nueva regulación ambiciosa que constituye el compromiso de que quien contamina paga. Porque salía muy barato contaminar con estos pélets.

Le doy la enhorabuena a mi compañero João Alburquerque por el informe sobre esta propuesta de Reglamento. Esperemos que los diálogos tripartitos sean tan ambiciosos desde el Consejo, pues a los grandes contaminantes de pélets —los grandes navíos, los grandes transportadores— no les debe salir barata esta contaminación. Deben pagar por el daño en las costas, pero —sobre todo— deben prevenir. Por lo tanto, bienvenido sea este Reglamento, y que no se vuelvan a ocasionar estos daños.

Recordemos que a veces usamos los plásticos y microplásticos cinco minutos, pero pueden durar quinientos años. En este Día Internacional de la Madre Tierra creo que es preciso recordarlo.

  Jordi Solé (Verts/ALE). – Señora presidenta, es una muy buena noticia que estemos avanzando hacia una legislación europea para luchar contra la contaminación provocada por los pélets de plástico.

En febrero de 2021 pude comprobar sobre el terreno las consecuencias de este tipo de vertidos, producidos de manera repetida y a gran escala. Visité la playa de la Pineda, en Tarragona, cerca del polígono petroquímico más grande del sur de Europa, en Cataluña, y aquel día la playa no parecía una playa de arena. Parecía una playa de plástico, con miles de pequeños granos de plástico. Y aquello no era puntual, no era solo aquel día, sino que ocurría muy a menudo.

Y, aunque las entidades ambientalistas, las autoridades de la zona y el Gobierno de Cataluña han trabajado para poner fin a esta contaminación —a menudo con la implicación de los actores de toda la cadena de valor—, todo el mundo sabe que, sin una legislación que establezca obligaciones y responsabilidades claras, es muy difícil prevenir estas pérdidas y esta contaminación. Por eso hay que dar la bienvenida a este Reglamento.

  Mick Wallace (The Left). – Madam President, there’s much that’s welcome in this regulation to tackle pollution from plastic pellet losses, but in truth, we could be doing more. The regulation should include all pre-production plastic powder forms, powders, dust and flakes. It should also apply to all operators. Article 1 exempts operators handling quantities lower than five tonnes per year, and creates reduced requirements for operators handling quantities under 1000 tonnes per year. But all operators, no matter what quantity they are handling, can contribute chronic losses to the environment.

Implementation of the regulations should be accelerated in terms of certification and verification. 184 000 tonnes of pellets enter the environment each year, and we shouldn’t have a four-year lead in that period either. That would also give us a realistic chance of meeting the Zero Pollution Action Plan target of a 30 % microplastic-release reduction by 2030.

  Clare Daly (The Left). – Madam President, there’s no doubt about it: plastic pollution is a total scourge, and this legislation does certainly go in the right direction regarding tackling it. We’re only really beginning to learn about the toxic impacts of microplastics on the environment and, critically, on human health.

But I think there’s a slight irony that we’re discussing it at the moment, on the eve of the elections in the context of Ireland, because in the next month we’re going to see 600 000 plastic posters going up the length and breadth of the country for the European and local elections. None of these are going to be made of recycled plastic. Even worse, they’re going to be exposed to the elements, these eyesores leaking millions of microplastic particles directly into the environment, the big parties with large numbers, with every candidate on every lamppost.

So while the people of Ireland have constantly rejected and argued for this nonsense to be scrapped, it still goes on. I, for one, won’t be participating in it and I really think this issue must be tackled.

(Pyynnöstä myönnettävät puheenvuorot päättyvät)

  Ylva Johansson, Member of the Commission. – Madam President, honourable Members, I really appreciate this debate and your strong commitment to address this very critical problem and make a real difference. Thank you.

Let me also briefly reply to the issue raised by Mr Millán Mon and Ms Miranda. Maritime transport of pellets is international in nature, and would be best addressed by rules adopted globally, because the impact of such rules would be best in terms of environmental protection. This said, the recent work within the International Maritime Organization could only lead to the adoption of recommendations, which is not sufficient. As for binding measures to be adopted there, it will take several years. The Commission could therefore show openness to consider inclusion in this regulation, provided coherence with the developments of the International Maritime Organization is ensured, and the competitiveness of European industry is not jeopardised.

The adoption of Parliament’s first reading is a key step that I hope will pave the way to an agreement on this important file by the end of this year. The Commission looks forward to the Council’s general approach, before the end of this semester, to start negotiations to ensure our common goal to reduce pellet losses by up to 74 %, to move closer together to zero-pollution ambition, also by adding other main sources of unintentional microplastic pollution.

  João Albuquerque, rapporteur. – Madam President, Commissioner Sinkevičius, please accept my sincere appreciation for your words today. Also to Commissioner Sinkevičius, my apologies for not being able to delay this debate of today, but unfortunately, on Thursday we have a very important day in our democracy, which is the 25 April, the reason for which I will not be able to be here.

I want to thank all the comments and all the remarks that were made. I think that we have struck the right balance in our reports, and I hope that in the next mandate, whoever takes the flag and continues this work is able to reach a good compromise with the Council in order to make sure that all the efforts we have made regarding prevention are kept in our in our agreement.

We are sensible and sensitive to the arguments of the Commission regarding international maritime transportation, but we also hope that this issue, which is one of the main sources of unintentional pollution from pellets, is also tackled in the best way possible.

I want to thank all the work from the rapporteurs and all the good cooperation that we have had. I also thank the Commission, as this is my final intervention regarding this matter also in this plenary, and it was a huge privilege and a huge honour to be here and to serve the European population, especially the Portuguese.

  Puhemies. – Keskustelu on päättynyt.

Äänestys toimitetaan huomenna, tiistaina 23.4.2024.

Kirjalliset lausumat (171 artikla)

  Miapetra Kumpula-Natri (S&D), in writing. – Dear friends and colleagues, we need regulation to tackle the increasing challenge of microplastics. They are not only harmful to the environment, but also enter into the human body. One of the biggest unintended sources of microplastics is plastic pellets used in the plastics industry. Most losses of plastic pellets ending up into the environment happen as a result of incorrect handling, for example during transport or production. That’s why it is crucial that we complete the regulation aimed at preventing pellet losses to reduce microplastic pollution as quickly as possible. In the winter of 2024, an accident in Spanish and Portuguese waters caused millions of plastic pellets to fall from a cargo ship into the sea, causing serious environmental damage. The incident shows that we need the new regulations, also covering maritime transportation. Once the pellets end up in nature, it is almost impossible to clean them. Plastic pellets are part of a wider challenge of plastic entering into nature. We need to continue to work to protect our unique and precious environment and seas.