Responsible consumption and production

The classification, labelling and packaging of chemicals regulation is the core piece of Union legislation for the hazard assessment of chemicals, stemming from the United Nations’ global standard (GHS), and sets out the hazard classification of chemicals and how to communicate those hazards to consumers and workers.

The aim of the opinion is to bring the civil society's perspective on the proposed revisions of the Industrial Emissions Directive and of the Regulation on the European Pollutant Release and Transfer Register in order to achieve the reduction of industrial emissions and to provide environmental information to EU citizens that allows them to make informed participation in environmental decision-making on major industrial activities.

The Sustainable Products Initiative (SPI) package aims to make every aspect of the design, production, use and sale of products placed on the EU market more environmentally-friendly and circular to deliver on the sustainability and climate objectives. The proposals of the package will introduce a new era where sustainable products become the norm as well as Europe's resource independence.

The European Green Deal announced that to protect Europe’s citizens and ecosystems, the EU needs to move towards a zero pollution ambition, and better prevent and remedy pollution from air, water, soil, and consumer products.

This EESC opinion covers both the Communication on A European Strategy for Plastics in a Circular Economy (COM(2018) 28 final) and the proposal for a Directive on Port Reception Facilities (COM(2018) 33 final), as this initiative also contributes to the objective of reducing the leakage of plastics into the environment