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Marine litter

Marine litter is an increasing problem not only in the EU, but also globally. Efforts to tackle the problem exist at international, regional, and national level. These efforts include policy frameworks, regulatory measures, and collaborations among governments, NGOs, businesses, and local communities to reduce waste, improve waste management, and protect marine environments. 

The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) plays a leading role in promoting global action to address marine litter. The high-level “2025 United Nations Conference to Support the Implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development” planned for June 2025 will also address marine litter, following up on previous actions. The negotiations towards an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment, stemming from the UNEP resolution 5/14 are ongoing and expected to be concluded in 2025.

At the EU level several instruments apply. 

The EU’s main tool to protect and conserve the health of our coasts, seas and ocean is the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) adopted in 2018 providing a framework for Member States to monitor and address marine pollution, including marine litter. Its aim is to achieve a good environmental status of the EU's marine waters and sustainably protect the resource base upon which marine-related economic and social activities depend. 

Additionally, through the EU Plastics Strategy, the Circular Economy Action Plan, the Single-Use Plastics and Port Reception Facilities Directives, the EU is taking action to tackle plastic pollution and marine litter to accelerate the transition to a circular and resource-efficient plastics economy. 

The Single-Use Plastics Directive (EU) 2019/904

The Single-Use Plastics Directive aims at preventing and reducing the negative impact of certain plastic products on the marine environment and on human health, promoting the transition to a circular economy, and contributing to the efficient functioning of the internal market. It covers the top 10 single-use plastic products most found littered on European beaches, plus fishing gear containing plastics and oxo-degradable plastic. The Directive applies different measures for different products, ranging from extended producer responsibility (Article 8), collection targets provisions (Article 8), monitoring and reporting on fishing gear (Article 13) and to awareness raising (Article 10). 

Regarding fishing gear, the SUP Directive requires Member States to establish extended producer responsibility (EPR) schemes for fishing gear containing plastic placed on their market and ensure that the producers of fishing gear cover the costs of the separate collection of waste fishing gear that has been delivered to adequate port reception facilities, the costs of its subsequent transport and treatment, as well as the costs of the awareness raising measures. It also requires Member States having marine waters to set national minimum annual collection rates for waste fishing gear for recycling (by 31/12/2024). Finally, pursuing to Article 13(1)d of the SUP Directive, Member States shall, for each calendar year, report to the Commission the data on fishing gear containing plastic placed on the market and on waste fishing gear collected in the Member State. First reporting period deadline was 30th June 2024 for the reporting year 2022.

According to Article 15 of SUP Directive, the Commission is required to evaluate its implementation by 3 July 2027, based on data and information provided by Member States. The evaluation will review the implementation of the measures of the SUP Directive across the full range of its objectives and measures, notably the reduction of litter in the environment as well as linkages with other relevant EU legislation. It should also include a study of the feasibility of establishing binding collection rates for waste fishing gear. The COM should submit a report of the main findings of the evaluation, and if appropriate, to be accompanied by a legislative proposal.

Standards for a circular design of fishing gear and aquaculture equipment

The SUP Directive required the Commission to request the CEN/CENELEC to develop standards for a circular design of fishing gear and aquaculture equipment to facilitate their repair, re-use and recycling at the end of life ( ). Through the COM Implementing decision M/574 of 10/02/2021, DG MARE requested the European Committee for Standardisation to develop such standards. 

The series of 6 standards were published on the 27th November 2024 ( ), marking a successful outcome of the 4 years of intensive technical work within the CEN Technical Committee 466 'Sustainable fisheries, aquaculture and fishing gear’. 

The standards should provide the level playing field for the industry to develop a higher quality and environmentally friendly fishing gear and aquaculture equipment that is easily reused or recycled at the end of life and will provide the industry the opportunity to act sustainably for a healthier planet. Standards take an active part in the transition towards a greener and circular economy and implement the European Green Deal objectives.

Port Reception Facilities Directive (EU) 2019/883

This Directive aims to protect the marine environment by reducing discharges of waste from ships, and to improve efficiency of maritime operations in ports, by seeking to ensure that more waste is delivered on shore, in particular garbage, including waste from the fishing sector such as derelict fishing gear and passively fished waste (i.e. waste collected in fishing nets during normal fishing operations). It also aims to contribute to the Circular Economy, by improving the adequacy of waste reception facilities, in particular as regards their environmental operation.

Towards zero pollution for air, water and soil

In 2021, the EU’s Zero Pollution Action Plan, a key deliverable under the European Green Deal, included several targets to speed up reducing pollution. These included improving water quality by reducing waste, plastic litter at sea (by 50%) and microplastics released into the environment (by 30%) by 2030.

European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund

The European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) provides support for a collection of waste by fishermen from the sea such as the removal of lost fishing gear and marine litter (Article 40.1(a)) or investments improving the infrastructure of fishing ports, including investments in facilities for waste and marine litter collection (and Article 43(1)). 

Regional cooperation

While pollution does not stop at our borders, the EU supports the work of four Regional Sea Conventions which aim to protect the marine environment, bringing together Member States and neighbouring countries that share marine waters. The Oslo-Paris Convention (OSPAR) for the North-East Atlantic, the Helsinki Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment (HELCOM) for the Baltic Sea Area, the Bucharest Convention on the Protection of the Black Sea Against Pollution and the Barcelona Convention for the Mediterranean, all address protection of the coastal and marine environment and marine litter prevention and removal. 

Other initiatives

Initiatives such as the #EUBeachCleanup and European Week for Waste Reduction address awareness raising among citizens.