Plastic waste in the environment is a grave global problem. When it comes to marine pollution, plastic waste accounts for a large majority of visible and invisible pollutants. It is vital to improve the accuracy of analyses of waste streams that contain plastics, including analysis of how this waste enters the marine environment. The Green Paper on a European plastic waste strategy provides a breadth of statistics and references [...] In line with the waste hierarchy, efforts should be made to ensure that less plastic waste is generated in the first place. Some uses of plastics could be restricted if there are more environmentally friendly alternatives.
Download — European Plastic Waste Strategy (Green Paper)
This opinion sets out an argument that an effective way of strengthening civil society partnerships in delivering the Baltic Sea Region Strategy is through the implementation of the Partnership Principle as set out in the Commission's Code of Conduct Partnership. The EESC recommends that the Baltic Sea Region Strategy could informally embrace the process outlined in the Code of Conduct and apply it to the ongoing evolution and implementation of the Baltic Sea Region Strategy.
Download — Civil society partnership Baltic Sea Region
In the referral letter for this exploratory opinion the Commission makes the link between Sustainable development goals (SDGs), inclusive green economy and poverty eradication and asks to explore how, in a future framework of universally applicable SDGs, the economic, environmental and social dimension might be successfully integrated.
Download — Establishing Sustainable Development Goals
The EESC positively welcomes the timely amendments to the Nuclear Safety Directive. How this issue is perceived by the public has a significant impact on national policy. Citizens rightly expect verifiable high standards and consistency.
Download — EESC opinion: Revision of the nuclear safety directive
The EESC supports the Action Plan for a Maritime Strategy in the Atlantic area, which sets out priorities for research and investment in the region and provides considerable European added value in terms of boosting blue growth under the Europe 2020 strategy. Cooperation will develop within this strategic framework between authorities and social and economic operators in the Atlantic regions of the five Member States concerned: Ireland, the United Kingdom, France, Spain and Portugal.
Download — Action Plan for a Maritime Strategy in the Atlantic area
