The European Parliament is set to approve a key regulation to prevent plastic pellet losses, turning the trilogue agreement into EU law. Led by the S&D Group, this legislation is a key step in the fight against the pollution of microplastics, which, when released, leak into surface waters and land, contaminate ecosystems and the food chain, and threaten human health.

A major S&D achievement is the inclusion of maritime transport within the new rules, which is essential as nearly 40% of plastic pellets in the EU are transported by sea. With this law, all operators, from producers to carriers, will be accountable for preventing pellet losses during handling, storage, and transport.*

César Luena, S&D MEP and European Parliament’s lead negotiator for the regulation, said:

“The adoption of ambitious measures on microplastics is a vital step towards protecting our health, environment, and economies. By holding polluters accountable, we can prevent future ecological disasters like those already witnessed in Spain, the Netherlands, and the North Sea, where millions of plastic pellets have washed ashore and contaminated the land. Beyond environmental harm, plastic pollution threatens entire local economies by damaging fisheries, endangering marine biodiversity, and undermining tourism and agriculture.

“We are sending a clear message: our goal is not just to reduce pellet losses — it is to prevent them entirely. European installations, as well as EU and non-EU carriers handling these materials, will now be subject to specific obligations aimed at preventing and controlling such losses.”

*The regulation introduces certification-based obligations requiring operators to use proper equipment and procedures to prevent, contain, and clean up pellet losses.