Analisamos a forma como os novos regulamentos poderiam reduzir a contaminação que ocorre frequentemente durante o transporte de grânulos de plástico utilizados no fabrico de produtos de maiores dimensões.
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00:00Música
00:00Plastica é uma das melhores pollutores para todos os ecossistemas
00:17e microplastica é particularmente preocupante.
00:20Eles são de 5 mm até os metros de nível de microscopo e podem ser um problema para a vida.
00:25Contamination of nature often happens during transport by land and sea
00:30of plastic pellets that are used to make larger products.
00:35At UDECODE we explain new regulation to reduce this pollution.
00:39Microplastics contaminate soil, which can harm agriculture.
00:44Spillage into waterways and the sea leads to ingestion by animals,
00:48including fish, which are then in turn eaten by humans.
00:52Pollution on beaches also negatively affects tourism.
00:56Recent shipping spills have occurred in northwest Spain, Galicia,
01:00and in the North Sea, affecting the Netherlands.
01:04Inadvertent consumption of microplastics can pose health issues,
01:08such as lower fatality and cancer, according to some scientific studies.
01:13Let's hear to what extent Europeans are aware and concerned about microplastic risks.
01:22It's everywhere, which, I mean, isn't brilliant, but I guess we don't really know what effects will have long term.
01:41I believe that we're looking for a lot, because we're looking for a lot of damage.
01:47I've heard that they can now continue to be able to overcome a cell that we have in the brain,
01:52so they go through the circulation of our blood, and they have increased even in the anaesthetics of health.
01:58Euronews reporter Gregoire Lourie has been following this dossier.
02:02So what will be the new obligations for the companies that store plastic pallets and for those that transport them?
02:09The big companies that handle above 1,500 tons a year will have to get a certification by a third independent party.
02:17The small companies that still handle above 1,500 tons a year will have lighter obligation,
02:24like one-off certification in the five years after the entering into force of the regulation.
02:30And you have the small companies that handle less than 1,500 tons a year,
02:36and the microenterprises, they will have to issue a self-declaration of conformity.
02:41And in practice, these companies have to do what?
02:44Train the people that work there, have more technical means when there is an accidental spillage?
02:49They will have to, indeed, because contamination can occur at different stages of the process.
02:54It can be the production, it can be the processing, the distribution.
02:56So they will have, indeed, to provide all this kind of staff training, organizing,
03:03to make sure that they reduce pallets losses.
03:07Some non-governmental organizations were a bit critical, saying there are too many exemptions,
03:13too much delay to enter into force. What is at stake?
03:17For instance, NGOs argue that most of SMEs are actually representing the vast majority of making up the plastic supply chain,
03:30accounting for 98% in conversion and 97% in transport and storage.
03:37The maritime sector got an additional year for the transition and NGOs argue that actually the vast majority of European vessels
03:47are already following the international recommendations.
03:51And finally, why will non-EU companies also be included in this regulation?
03:56So, pellets are very mobile. They can be dispersed by air, water, land.
04:03It can occur at all stages of the supply chain.
04:07And the highest risks are actually in the loading and unloading.
04:12So the EU wants to make sure to get all the companies within the regulations.
04:17Each year, the equivalent of up to 7,300 truckloads of plastic pellets are lost to the environment.
04:25The new rules are expected to reduce plastic pellet losses by up to 74%.
04:30But plastic pellets rank third among the largest sources of microplastic release after paints and tires.
04:37Textiles and detergent capsules are other significant sources of this pollution.
04:41Let's talk more about this topic with one of the shadow operators for this regulation
04:47in the European Parliament, Spanish Socialist César Luena.
04:52¿Cómo se puede garantizar que las empresas van a aplicar estas normas,
04:59sobre todo aquellas que no pertenecen a la Unión Europea?
05:03Fuera del territorio de la Unión Europea no podemos garantizar nada,
05:06pero aquellas empresas de fuera que trabajen, que operen dentro de nuestro territorio,
05:11tendrán que tener un representante autorizado que explique cómo cumple con las normas europeas
05:17a cada autoridad competente en los Estados miembros.
05:20Por tanto, si ocurre una desgracia o un accidente,
05:25inmediatamente vamos a ver la empresa y vamos a tener este representante autorizado.
05:29¿Por qué el transporte marítimo tendrá tres años para cumplir estas normas,
05:35en lugar de dos, como las otras empresas, cuando la contaminación del mar es tan elevada?
05:40Pues porque países como, los puedo nombrar, no tengo ningún problema,
05:44como Chipre, como Grecia, como Malta, como Croacia,
05:49sí pedían esos tres años porque necesitaban más tiempo.
05:53A cambio, hicimos que el Consejo, que los países miembros aceptaran, por ejemplo,
05:57la propuesta del Parlamento sobre el etiquetado,
06:00que tuvieron el etiquetado claramente donde se detalle, se describan los materiales
06:05y los peligros que puede tener si se pierden esos materiales, si se vierten al suelo o a las aguas.
06:12Para 2030, la Unión debe reducir la liberación de microplásticos al medioambiente en un 30%.
06:19¿Se están evaluando adecuadamente otras fuentes de contaminación para alcanzar ese objetivo?
06:26Sí, yo creo que sí. Todo lo previsto en el Pacto Verde Europeo,
06:31desde las políticas de economía circular hasta las políticas que hablan de residuos urbanos,
06:39de agua potable, de la pintura, textiles, etc.
06:43Entonces, si aplicamos lo que teníamos previsto, llegaremos y cumpliremos.
06:48Pero si dudamos y caemos en las cesiones a la extrema derecha, pues quizá no.
06:53La Unión Europea ha prohibido los plásticos de un solo uso
06:58y existen innovaciones como materiales biodegradables.
07:02Pero ¿no debería la Unión ser más activa en la promoción de alternativas al plástico para los consumidores?
07:08Tenemos por un lado el reglamento de codiseño,
07:12los trabajos en el programa Horizonte Europa
07:14y un reglamento que se revisó en el mandato pasado
07:18sobre los materiales reciclables y de un solo uso.
07:23Creo que ese conjunto de tres cosas deberían tener una visión única, un plan único
07:29y por tanto así creo que también seríamos más eficaces.
07:33Violaciones de las nuevas reglas sobre el plástico y el transporte de los plásticos
07:37pueden llevar a los pagos de más de 3% de las empresas que se han convertido en la Unión Europea.
07:43Los gobiernos retienen la iniciativa de iniciar procedimientos criminales
07:47en caso de severa contaminación.
07:50Pero el mayor desafío sigue persuadiendo la gente
07:53a usar más plásticos en nuestras vidas diarias.