AIM has joined nine other European industry associations in urging EU policymakers to maintain the current legal text of the Single-Use Plastics Directive (SUPD) and avoid reopening the legislation during its ongoing evaluation.
In a joint statement co-signed by AIM alongside organisations including AmCham EU, Cosmetics Europe, Plastics Europe, Europen, EDANA and others, the signatories stress that revising the Directive at this stage would be premature. Many of the SUPD’s provisions are still being implemented across Member States, and there is not yet sufficient evidence to assess whether the legislation is achieving its intended environmental objectives.
The statement highlights four key concerns:
- Insufficient evidence: The current implementation data are incomplete and not harmonised across Member States, making a meaningful evaluation impossible at this stage.
- Regulatory fragmentation: Divergent national transpositions and gold-plating have created unnecessary complexity, increased compliance costs and weakened the Single Market.
- Legal certainty: Businesses are still adapting to recently adopted requirements and implementing measures. Reopening the Directive now would create uncertainty and risk delaying investments.
- Regulatory coherence: Revising the SUPD alongside the implementation of other major EU legislation, including the Ecodesign and Packaging Regulations and the forthcoming Circular Economy Act, could lead to overlapping or conflicting requirements.
The coalition calls on EU institutions to prioritise effective implementation and enforcement of the existing framework, while addressing inconsistencies in national implementation before considering any legislative revision.
At a time when the EU is placing greater emphasis on competitiveness, simplification and the integrity of the Single Market, the signatories urge policymakers to focus on ensuring the current legislation can deliver its intended environmental outcomes before reopening it.
