The "EU Plastic Tax"

"Contrary to the impression given by the EU, the main purpose is not to reduce plastic waste, but to provide the EU with a new source of revenue. The label of environmental protection serves the purpose of greenwashing an unpopular budget measure," says cep expert Götz Reichert.

According to cep calculations, the proceeds of the new national plastic contribution, taking into account the compensation mechanism for financially weak member states, will be around 800 million euros (11 percent) below the revenue of 7 billion euros per year originally estimated by the EU Commission. "If the national plastic contribution were able to effectively reduce non-recycled plastic packaging waste, revenues would quickly fall even further, compromising its ability to serve as a sustainable source of revenue for the EU's finances," stresses Reichert, who calls the "EU plastic tax" an "environmental deception package."