What changed between the adopted text of 23 Apr 2024 and the adopted text of 23 Oct 2025

Removed:TEXTS ADOPTED

Added:P10_TA(2025)0252

Removed:P9_TA(2024)0307

Preventing plastic pellet losses to reduce microplastic pollution

Changed:Committee on the Environment, Public HealthClimate and Food Safety

Removed:PE757.117

Added:PE778.296

Changed:European Parliament legislative resolution of 23 AprilOctober 20242025 on the proposalCouncil forposition at first reading with a view to the adoption of a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on preventing plastic pellet losses to reduce microplastic pollution (COM(2023)0645(09047/1/2025 – C9-0378/2023C10-0234/2025 – 2023/0373(COD))

Changed:(Ordinary legislative procedure: firstsecond reading)

The European Parliament,

Changed:– having regard to the CommissionCouncil proposalposition toat Parliamentfirst andreading the(09047/1/2025 Council– (COM(2023)0645),C100234/2025),

Removed:– having regard to Article 294(2) and Article 192(1) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, pursuant to which the Commission submitted the proposal to Parliament (C9-0378/2023),

Removed:– having regard to Article 294(3) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

– having regard to the reasoned opinion submitted, within the framework of Protocol No 2 on the application of the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality, by the Italian Chamber of Deputies, asserting that the draft legislative act does not comply with the principle of subsidiarity,

– having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee of 14 February 2024,

– having regard to the opinion of the Committee of the Regions of 18 April 2024,

Removed:– having regard to Rule 59 of its Rules of Procedure,

Added:– having regard to its position at first reading on the Commission proposal to Parliament and the Council (COM(2023)0645),

Changed:– having regard to theArticle opinion294(7) of the CommitteeTreaty on Industry,the ResearchFunctioning andof Energy,the European Union,

Changed:– having regard to the reportprovisional ofagreement approved by the Committeecommittee onresponsible theunder Environment,Rule Public75(4) Healthof andits FoodRules Safetyof (A9-0148/2024),Procedure,

Change 1

Removed:1. Adopts its position at first reading hereinafter set out;

Added:– having regard to Rule 68 of its Rules of Procedure,

Removed:2. Calls on the Commission to refer the matter to Parliament again if it replaces, substantially amends or intends to substantially amend its proposal;

Added:– having regard to the recommendation for second reading of the Committee on the Environment, Climate and Food Safety (A10-0203/2025),

Added:1. Approves the Council position at first reading;

Added:2. Notes that the act is adopted in accordance with the Council position;

Added:3. Instructs its President to sign the act with the President of the Council, in accordance with Article 297(1) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union;

Added:4. Instructs its Secretary-General to sign the act, once it has been verified that all the procedures have been duly completed, and, in agreement with the Secretary-General of the Council, to arrange for its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union;

5. Instructs its President to forward its position to the Council, the Commission and the national parliaments.

Change 2

Removed:P9_TC1-COD(2023)0373

Removed:Position of the European Parliament adopted at first reading on 23 April 2024 with a view to the adoption of Regulation (EU) 2024/… of the European Parliament and of the Council on preventing plastic pellet losses to reduce microplastic pollution

Removed:THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Removed:Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 192(1) thereof,

Removed:Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission,

Removed:After transmission of the draft legislative act to the national parliaments,

Removed:Having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee,

Removed:Having regard to the opinion of the Committee of the Regions,

Removed:Acting in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure,

Removed:Whereas:

Removed:(1) Microplastics are ubiquitous, persistent and transboundary. They are detrimental to the environment and potentially harmful to human health, particularly due to the presence of harmful chemical additives and other substances of concern added during production and conversion, such as phthalates, bisphenol A, or flame retardants. Microplastics are easily transported through the air and by land surface waters and ocean currents, and their mobility is an aggravating factor. They are found in soil (including agricultural lands), lakes, rivers, estuaries, beaches, lagoons, seas, oceans and in remote, once pristine regions, and their presence in soil may have effects on soil properties and trigger soil alterations which negatively impact the growth of some plants. Impacts of microplastics on the marine environment have been extensively documented. Once in the marine environment, microplastics are nearly impossible to collect, and are known to be eaten by a range of organisms and animals and cause harm to biodiversity and ecosystems. The persistence of a plastic pellet in the aquatic environment may be measured over decades or more, and ingestion of plastic pellets by marine wildlife, notably seabirds and sea turtles, may cause physical harm or death. Microplastics also contribute to climate change as an additional source both of greenhouse gas emissions and of pressure on ecosystems. Microplastics’ potential to act as a carrier for adsorbed toxicants or pathogenic microorganisms is an integral part of the problem. Humans are exposed to microplastics via air and food consumption. The growing awareness of microplastics’ presence in the food chain can undermine consumer confidence and bear economic consequences. There may be negative economic impacts on activities such as commercial fishing and agriculture as well as recreation and tourism in areas affected by the releases. [Am. 1]

Removed:(2) In their opinion entitled ‘Environmental and health risks of microplastic pollution’, the Commission’s Group of Chief Scientific Advisors considered that ‘there are significant grounds for concern and for precautionary measures to be taken’.

Removed:(3) Plastic pellet losses constitute the third largest source of microplastics unintentionally released to the environment in the Union and are due to poor handling practices at all stages of the supply chain, including production, processing, distribution, transport, including by sea, and other logistic operations. Hence, a supply chain approach is essential for ensuring the commitment of all economic actors involved in plastic pellet handling towards loss prevention. Since 2015, the European plastic manufacturing industry has progressively adopted the international Operation Clean Sweep® programme (OCS) as a voluntary pledge. Under this programme, each company making or handling pellets recognises the importance of making zero pellet losses and commits to adopting best practices. While such practices are generally well understood by OCS signatories, they have not been comprehensively implemented. The uptake of the programme by the plastic industry remains low.

Removed:(4) The impacts of microplastic pollution on the environment and possibly on human health have raised concerns in most parts of the world. Some Member States have adopted or proposed dedicated measures. However, a patchwork of national restrictions could potentially hamper the functioning of the internal market. [Am. 2]

Removed:(5) In a bid to tackle plastic pollution, in January 2018, the Commission adopted a Communication entitled ‘European Strategy for Plastics’ where it acknowledged the risks posed by microplastics and called for innovative solutions targeting the different sources of microplastics to be taken. This commitment was renewed with the adoption of the European Green Deal in December 2019, the new Circular Economy Action Plan in March 2020 and the Zero Pollution Action Plan in May 2021. The latter includes, among its 2030 targets, reducing the amount of microplastics released into the environment by 30%.

Removed:(6) Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/2055 addresses microplastic pollution by imposing a restriction on the placing on the market of microplastics that are intentionally added to products (the ‘restriction’), as there is considerable microplastic pollution arising from the use of synthetic polymer microparticles on their own or intentionally present in products, and pollution poses an unacceptable risk to the environment.

Removed:(7) In 2021, the parties to the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic (OSPAR) adopted the non-binding Recommendation 2021/06 to reduce the loss of plastic pellets into the marine environment by promoting the timely development and implementation of effective and consistent pellet loss prevention standards and certification schemes for the entire plastic supply chain. Measures for minimizing the risk associated with the transport of plastic pellets by sea are under examination at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in light of the significant risk of catastrophic pollution associated with maritime transport of plastic pellets. In this context, the Union should follow closely the developments at the IMO, and play a leading role in ensuring a high-level of environmental protection on this issue. [Am. 3]

Removed:(7a) Several accidents leading to plastic pellet spills and losses have been registered in the Union with transboundary impacts, highlighting the urgent need for ambitious, holistic measures to significantly reduce the risk of plastic pellet pollution while strengthening response capabilities in relation to plastic pellet spills throughout Union territories and waters. [Am. 4]

Removed:(7b) Nearly 90 % of the world's goods are transported by sea, including plastic pellets. However, poor handling practices or a lack of supervision of certain routine operations, such as cleaning hulls or containers, can lead to such pellets leaking out and spilling into the ocean. Furthermore, many maritime pellet disasters have been reported, making maritime transport a high-risk activity in relation to plastic pellet pollution. The impact of such pellet losses is catastrophic for marine and coastal ecosystems as well as the species that comprise them, and the extreme mobility of plastic pellets makes effective containment and clean-up operations difficult. The handling of such pellets is regulated at international level by the 1972 Convention for Safe Containers, and supplemented by the 2023 Sub-Committee on Carriage of Cargoes and Containers circular on the obligation to report lost containers, but they do not provide the guarantees needed to prevent pollution by plastic pellets. The inclusion of maritime transport in the scope of this Regulation, as well as of provisions relating to the handling of plastic pellets specific to this mode of transport, is therefore essential if the objectives of this Regulation are to be achieved. [Am. 5]

Removed:(8) In the Union submission to United Nations Environment Programme in view of the second session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution (INC-2), the Union and its Member States stressed the need for the future instrument to include measures to reduce unintentional releases of microplastics.

Removed:(9) Despite Union legislation concerning the prevention of waste, pollution, marine litter and chemicals, there are no specific Union rules preventing pellet losses as a source of microplastic pollution along the entire supply chain. Directive 2008/98/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council lays down basic waste management principles and imposes general obligations for Member States to take measures to prevent waste generation. Those general obligations should be complemented by addressing specific aspects and requirements for the careful handling of plastic pellets in order to avoid them becoming wasteprevent them from escaping into the environment. [Am. 6]

Removed:(9a) This Regulation provides for measures to prevent, contain and clean up plastic pellet pollution occurring following the entry into force of this Regulation, but does not provide for measures to address existing pollution. Cleaning up soil, rivers and streams, and restoring degraded terrestrial, marine, littoral and coastal ecosystems is essential to achieving the 30 % reduction target by 2030, in accordance with the objectives set out in Regulation (EU) 2024/1991 of the European Parliament and of the Council, and the objectives of the European Green Deal. The Commission should develop a set of measures to map and clean up those already polluted areas, and implement them either as part of a European strategy for depolluting microplastics, or through support and accompanying measures for Member States. More broadly, the Union should be involved in promoting solutions along the entire value chain, and should include such solutions in the ongoing negotiations on the development of an international Treaty on Plastic Pollution, as well as in the upcoming 81st session of the Marine Environment Protection Committee of the IMO (IMO MEPC). [Am. 7]

Removed:(10) While the production of polymeric materials on an industrial scale fall under the scope of Directive 2010/75/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council, other activities like the conversion, transport or storage of pellets, usually operated by small and medium-sized enterprises, are not covered by that Directive. Moreover, the Reference Document on Best Available Techniques in the Production of Polymers of August 2007, established pursuant Council Directive 96/61/EC concerning integrated pollution prevention and control, does not address the specific issue of pellet losses.

Removed:(11) Directive 2008/56/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council addresses the monitoring and assessment of the impacts of microlitter, including microplastics, in coastal and marine environments. An update of the first guidance on monitoring marine litter is under development in view of harmonised methodologies including to monitor the presence and distribution of plastic pellets along the coastline. However, Directive 2008/56/EC does not include specific requirements concerning the prevention or reduction of pellet losses at source.

Removed:(12) Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/2055 addresses losses of synthetic polymer microparticles for use at industrial sites i.e. plastic pellets as avoidable releases. For these releases, a reporting requirement for an estimated quantity of microplastics released to the environment on an annual basis is introduced. While lackingHowever, that reporting requirement lacks a methodology to estimate losses, and only provides annual estimates. While this requirement will increase information on pellet losses and improve the quality of the information collected to assess the risks deriving from these microplastics in the future, it is not sufficient to have an overview of the specific nature of the losses and the causes thereof. [Am. 8]

Removed:(13) To ensure that plastic pellets are handled safely and responsibly at all stages of the supply chain, so that losses to the environment are prevented, it is necessary to establish requirements on the handling of plastic pellets along the entire supply chain: production, master batching and compounding, conversion, waste management, including recycling, distribution, repacking, transport, storage and tank cleaning at cleaning stations.

Removed:(14) Such requirements should take into account internationally recommended good handling practices as well as existing requirements on the handling of plastic pellets established by the industry in the Union.

Removed:(15) Economic operators, EU carriers and non-EU carriers should implement the requirements on the handling of plastic pellets by following a priority order of action with the paramount goal of preventing the release of pellets in the environment as the top priority. Therefore, preventing spills of plastic pellets from primary containment during routine handling, thus reducing the risk of spills to the lowest possible level, should be the first step, including by avoiding any unnecessary handling (for instance by reducing the transfer points) and by labelling all storage and transport containers containing plastic pellets as well as by using puncture-proofappropriate packaging, followed by containment of spilled pellets to make sure they do not become a loss to the environment, and eventually by clean up after a spill or loss event as the final step. [Am. 9]

Removed:(16) While the aim is to preventachieve zero plastic pellet losses to the environment for all economic operators, EU carriers and non-EU carriers, obligations for micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises and enterprises that handle under 1 000 tonnes of plastic pellets annually should be adjusted to mitigate the burden on them. [Am. 10]

Removed:(17) The registration of installations handling plastic pellets and of carriers transporting them is necessary for the traceability of plastic pellets handled and transported in each Member State and to allow competent authorities to perform compliance checks efficiently.

Removed:(18) In order to prevent plastic pellet losses and to achieve zero plastic pellet losses, economic operators should establish, implement, and update at all times a risk assessment plan identifying potential for spills and losses and documenting in particular specific equipment and procedures in place to prevent, contain and clean up pellet losses, taking into consideration the installation size and the scale of operations. [Am. 11]