Vioneo on the EU Single‑Use Plastics Directive

Context

The European Commission is evaluating the Single‑Use Plastics Directive (EU 2019/904); Vioneo submitted a formal contribution arguing the review should address both pollution and decarbonisation of plastics production. The SUPD has helped reduce certain single‑use plastic impacts, but the evaluation is an opportunity to align plastics policy with Europe’s climate and industrial objectives. Systemiq (May 2025) estimates Europe will still need about 28 million tonnes/year of new plastics by 2050 even under ambitious circularity, and 80–90% of packaging emissions occur upstream in material production.

Regulatory gap

The SUPD defines plastics by material structure rather than carbon origin, so fossil‑feedstock plastics and plastics from renewable or recycled carbon are treated the same. This creates regulatory uncertainty for investments in fossil‑free pathways and limits the Directive’s ability to reflect the climate benefits of defossilised materials.

Policy recommendations

Proposed actions include a clearer, consistent EU definition of fossil‑free plastics to improve investor predictability and align with the Circular Economy Action Plan, Bioeconomy Strategy and Clean Industrial Deal; harmonised Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) frameworks with minimum requirements for eco‑modulation of fees based on clear environmental criteria; and recognition of renewable‑carbon/fossil‑free feedstocks alongside end‑of‑life performance to incentivise development of a European renewable‑carbon value chain and reduce cross‑border compliance burdens.