Ref. Ares(2020)2536088 - 13/05/2020
Meeting Minutes DG GROW/D2 – Edana (via Skype)
Date: 13 March 2020
Participants:
•
DG GROW/D2:
•
Edana:
Subject: definition of plastic in the SUP Directive and applicability to non-woven products
Points discussed:
• Edana expressed concern about the interpretation of the definition of plastic in the SUP
Directive which is being discussed in the context of the workshops, organised by DG ENV, to
draft the Guidelines for the effective implementation of the Directive. One of the options
proposed by DG ENV would also cover natural polymers like cotton, silk, pulp.
• DG GROW explained that the objective of the Directive is not to ban materials from the
circulation in the Internal Market. It is instead to prevent that the value of a very good
material – like plastics – is lost in a single-use application, thus often contributing to the
harmful phenomenon of plastics littering in the natural environment, with heavy
consequences on the quality of fresh and marine water, as well as on biodiversity.
Having this is mind, the co-legislators agreed on a definition of plastics that is based on the
definition of polymer as defined in art. 3.5 of the REACH Regulation, with some additional
points aimed at including materials whose environmental behaviour is comparable to plastics
(like chemically modified bamboo) and some exemptions, aimed at excluding those natural
polymers whose chemical structure has not been modified (e.g. wood, cotton, pulp, etc).
• GROW took note of Edana’s concerns and invited them to be in contact with DG ENV, who is
the leading service for the implementation of the SUP Directive.