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China-EU relations
ChinaDiplomacy

‘Green imperialism’: de facto EU ban on recycled plastics imports sparks row in Brussels

  • Last-minute ‘mirror clause’ from France has EU trade officials scrambling to kill landmark packaging rules seeking level global playing field
  • EU recycling sector figures warn that if Chinese plastic imports are not curbed, ‘the industry will collapse’

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All packaging on the EU market will have to be recyclable by 2030. Photo: Shutterstock
Finbarr Berminghamin Brussels
European Union trade officials are frantically trying to kill an effective ban on recycled plastic made outside the bloc, arguing that it will sharpen accusations of “green imperialism” from the Global South.
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This comes days after France demanded the addition of a last-minute clause to landmark EU packaging rules that will require producers in China and elsewhere in the world to match standards applied to recycled plastic packaging in Europe.

France believes it is only fair that non-EU actors have to abide by the same rules as their competitors in Europe, and so pushed for “equivalence criteria”, also known as “mirror clauses”.

This is designed to create a level playing field, as the EU is seen as the world leader in plastic recycling, with its companies having to foot associated costs.

But the move could rile trade partners who are already upset by Europe’s carbon border tax and other sustainable trading measures. China, for instance, has frequently railed against what it describes as the EU’s “green protectionism”.

Should the recycled plastic not meet the same standards required of producers in the EU, it would not be permitted to enter the single market, threatening huge disruptions to global trade.

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