In line with the European Union’s Plastics Strategy and its Circular Economy Action Plan, the EU strives to maintain the value of products, materials and resources in the economy as long as possible and to minimize waste generation. The circularity of use of plastics opens up avenues of innovation, competitiveness and job creation. Yet marine litter doesn’t stop at EU’s maritime borders.

This calls for EU’s greater international engagement to foster common responses and spurring global commitments on fighting marine litter. The EU has taken an active stance to mobilize international partners around sustainable use and production of plastics, including within multilateral fora, such as the UN (through dedicated resolutions and the UN Global Litter Partnership), and among other through G7 and G20 initiatives.