European Commission - Directorate General for Energy
European Commission - Directorate General for Energy
12/23/2025 | Press release | Archived content
Have your say: what is the impact of the Single-Use Plastics Directive
The European Commission today launched a public consultation and call for evidence to evaluate the Single-Use Plastics Directive (SUPD). This is the first step in examining how well the Directive has reduced the impact of certain plastic products on the marine environment and on human health, while promoting a circular, innovative and sustainable economy.
Four years have passed since key bans and restrictions started to apply across the EU. As required by law, the Commission will carry out a comprehensive evaluation of the SUPD by July 2027. The evaluation will examine the Directive's effectiveness, efficiency, relevance, coherence and EU added value. The findings of the evaluation will help in deciding if new rules are necessary.
The consultation and call for evidence are open to all interested parties, including citizens, businesses, non-governmental organisations, public authorities and academia. All stakeholders are invited to share their views through the online survey, available in the 24 official EU languages until 17 March 2026.
Background
The EU's Directive on single-use plastics (SUPD) targets the ten single-use plastic products most found on European beaches, as well as fishing gear containing plastic. It introduces measures for different categories of single-use plastic products, including those made entirely or partly from plastics.
Where affordable and easily available alternatives exist (such as paper), single-use plastic products have been banned: cotton bud sticks, cutlery, plates, stirrers, straws, balloon sticks, and food and beverage containers made of expanded polystyrene, as well as all products made of oxo-degradable plastics. The EU aims to limit other single use plastics through measures such as consumption reduction and the promotion of reusable alternatives. The Directive sets specific rules for fishing gear containing plastics, including producer responsibility from creation to end-of-life, monitoring and reporting obligations, and national annual collection rates for recycling.
More information
Have Your Say: call for evidence and consultation on Single-Use Plastics Directive
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