http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/news-room/content/20140411IPR43461/html/MEPs-clamp-down-on-wasteful-use-of-plastic-carrier-bags

MEPs clamp down on wasteful use of plastic carrier bags
PLENARY SESSION Press release - Environment ? 16-04-2014 - 13:14

EU countries would have to reduce the use of the most common and most
polluting plastic bags by at at least 80% by 2019, under draft rules
backed by Parliament on Wednesday. MEPs recommend using taxes and
levies, marketing restrictions or bans. Plastic carrier bag litter is a
major environmental problem, known to pollute water bodies and aquatic
eco-systems in particular.

"MEPs have today voted to significantly strengthen draft EU rules aimed
at reducing plastic bag use and waste, notably to include obligatory
European reduction targets and a requirement that plastic bags come at a
cost. As front-running countries have demonstrated, dramatically
reducing the consumption of these disposable bags is easily achievable
with coherent policy. Swiftly phasing out these bags is a readily
implementable solution to the pervasive problem of plastic waste in the
environment," said lead MEP Margrete Auken (Greens/EFA, DK), whose
report was approved by 539 votes to 51, with 72 abstentions.

http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/news-room/content/20140411IPR43461/pdf