The European Commission is proposing new EU-wide rules to target the 10 single-use plastic products most often found on Europe's beaches and seas, as well as lost and abandoned fishing gear, which together make up 70% of all marine litter items.

Different measures will be applied to different products - where alternatives are readily available and affordable, single-use plastic products will be banned from the market. For products without straight-forward alternatives, the focus is on limiting their use through a national reduction in consumption; design and labelling requirements and waste management/clean-up obligations for producers.

First Vice-President Frans Timmermans, responsible for sustainable development said:

"Today's proposals will reduce single use plastics on our supermarket shelves through a range of measures. We will ban some of these items, and substitute them with cleaner alternatives so people can still use their favourite products."

Worldwide, plastics make up 85% of marine litter with micro-plastics in the air, water and food having an unknown impact on human health.

The Commission said the proposals would give companies a competitive edge and that having one set of rules for the whole EU market would create a springboard for European companies to develop economies of scale and be more competitive in the booming global marketplace for sustainable products.

The new rules will introduce a complete ban on single-use plastic products which will apply to plastic cotton buds, cutlery, plates, straws, drink stirrers and sticks for balloons.Single-use drinks containers made with plastic will only be allowed on the market if their caps and lids remain attached.

The proposed consumption reduction targets will require Member States to reduce the use of plastic food containers and drinks cups.

Obligations for producers will require producers to help cover the costs of waste management and clean-up, as well as awareness raising measures for food containers, packets and wrappers (such as for crisps and sweets), drinks containers and cups, tobacco products with filters (such as cigarette butts), wet wipes, balloons, and lightweight plastic bags.

Member States will be obliged to set collection targets and collect 90% of single-use plastic drinks bottles by 2025, for example through deposit refund schemes.

They will also have to raise consumers' awareness about the negative impact of littering of single-use plastics and fishing gear as well as about the available re-use systems and waste management options for all these products.

The Commission's proposals will now go to the European Parliament and Council for adoption.

The Commission will also launch an EU-wide awareness-raising campaign to put the spotlight on consumer choice and highlight individual people's role in combatting plastic pollution and marine litter.