In response, 28 leading actors across the European plastics value chain have sounded the alarm in a joint letter addressed to EU policymakers 3. They put forward six strategic recommendations to combat the pressing issues suffocating the industry, including low-priced imports, soaring energy costs, legal uncertainty, administrative burdens and regulatory fragmentation.
Signatories are calling for urgent measures to level the playing field. Imports must be countered by driving demand for high-quality EU-produced plastics and preventing the influx of non-compliant materials. This requires robust mirror measures on imported virgin and recycled plastics, as well as articles. In addition, it will require strengthened customs controls and targeted incentives – such as ramping up investments in infrastructure for collection, sorting, and recycling, paired with fiscal stimuli.
The demand of the value chain for circular plastics should be based on eco-modulated EPR fees that reward recyclability and the use of recycled content. EPR schemes must address market failures and follow consistent rules. The sector urges solutions to economic pressures that hamper its competitiveness, including access to affordable energy, as well as the effective implementation and enforcement of EU legislation across Member States.
If urgent strategic action is not taken, the ongoing recession will further slash the production of plastics in the territory and the demand for these plastics and products, triggering an even higher number of bankruptcies and closures. Decades of investments in innovation and plastics circularity risk being lost, along with thousands of green jobs, threatening the European Union's environmental goals.
