COMMENT
Con EU plastics tax: “We need a European plastics Marshall Plan” / Hannes Meier, M2 Consulting
 Hannes Meier (Photo: private) |
Unfortunately, it is becoming more and more apparent that local and European policymakers are making decisions miles away from expert know-how. While billions are being distributed to fight against the coronavirus-related economic downturn, the almost simultaneously implemented plastics levy is punishing a class of materials that has brought us the highest levels of prosperity.
It would be much more important to levy global taxes or customs duties from other parts of the world where the much more significant share of the media-effective plastic contaminants in our oceans originates, unless infrastructural and recycling measures are implemented there in the same way as on the model continent of Europe.
No, instead we prefer to shoot ourselves in the foot and at the same time bring all the entrepreneurs in the plastics industry in a bad position in the competitive global environment! Economically, for one, and also by not recognising and utilising the know-how we have built up and the sales potential behind it. In a marketing class, this would get a failing grade. But who among the politically, sometimes only indirectly elected EU actors is dependent on expert assessments? It is highly overdue to announce a global plastics Marshall Plan in Europe!
But it is still worth asking: On which expert opinions is this incredibly far-reaching decision based? Apparently, all the so-called industry representatives, i.e. the recycling and plastics associations of Europe, are not being heard in Brussels. Nor, it seems, the heavily consolidated polymer groups, which have conspicuously acquired recycling companies in recent years. And probably not in order to save taxes.
It would require a close cooperation between all experienced plastics market participants in order to force a public release of the expert opinions and take a firm stand against this arbitrariness. “Yes, we can!”, “Europe first!” or: hope springs eternal!
Hannes Meier
Arguing for an EU plastics tax is Tomasz Mikulski, managing director of plastics recyclier ML Polyolefins (Elblag / Poland; www.mlpolyolefins.com). His opinion: “The plastics tax – an important impulse” (see Plasteurope.com of 04.09.2020)
It would be much more important to levy global taxes or customs duties from other parts of the world where the much more significant share of the media-effective plastic contaminants in our oceans originates, unless infrastructural and recycling measures are implemented there in the same way as on the model continent of Europe.
No, instead we prefer to shoot ourselves in the foot and at the same time bring all the entrepreneurs in the plastics industry in a bad position in the competitive global environment! Economically, for one, and also by not recognising and utilising the know-how we have built up and the sales potential behind it. In a marketing class, this would get a failing grade. But who among the politically, sometimes only indirectly elected EU actors is dependent on expert assessments? It is highly overdue to announce a global plastics Marshall Plan in Europe!
But it is still worth asking: On which expert opinions is this incredibly far-reaching decision based? Apparently, all the so-called industry representatives, i.e. the recycling and plastics associations of Europe, are not being heard in Brussels. Nor, it seems, the heavily consolidated polymer groups, which have conspicuously acquired recycling companies in recent years. And probably not in order to save taxes.
It would require a close cooperation between all experienced plastics market participants in order to force a public release of the expert opinions and take a firm stand against this arbitrariness. “Yes, we can!”, “Europe first!” or: hope springs eternal!
Hannes Meier
Arguing for an EU plastics tax is Tomasz Mikulski, managing director of plastics recyclier ML Polyolefins (Elblag / Poland; www.mlpolyolefins.com). His opinion: “The plastics tax – an important impulse” (see Plasteurope.com of 04.09.2020)
| Hannes Meier is the CEO of management consultancy M2 Consulting (Hartkirchen / Austria; www.m2consulting.at), which specialises in sustainable plastic recycling concepts and their implementation. |
04.09.2020 Plasteurope.com [245799-0]
Published on 04.09.2020