European Commission

SINGLE-USE PLASTICS EU Commission unit signs off on new rules for recyclate in plastic bottles / Standardised mass-balance methods, restrictions on rPET imports up to 2027 included	16.02.2026
PLASTICS RECYCLING EUROPE Bloc's circular plastics economy faces final reckoning / Bvse sees progress in Brussels but warns enforcement and energy relief remain unresolved	16.02.2026
ABS EU imposes final anti-dumping duties on imports from South Korea and Taiwan	13.02.2026
EU POLICY Urgent calls for help to stem bloc's deindustrialisation / Antwerp Declaration mired in the mud / Two major meetings in Belgium bring stakeholders together	13.02.2026
BUTANEDIOL EU imposes provisional countervailing duties on imports from China, US, Saudi Arabia	10.02.2026
PFAS EU Commission to make 2026 a ‘year of action' on forever chemicals / New study quantifies risks for human health if substances are not banned	09.02.2026
EU POLICY Critical Chemicals Alliance general assembly gets sector approval / Plastics Europe joins steering board / Industry repeats call for ‘action not words'	05.02.2026
RECYCLING EUROPE Ten proposals on how EU waste management and plastics recycling must change to drive defossilisation / Joint paper by BZL and nova-Institute	28.01.2026
WIND TURBINES Europe added 6.8 GW of wind capacity in H1 2025 / Landfill ban for blades comes into effect / Turnaround year expected in 2026	27.01.2026
UPDATE - EU TRADE Parliament freezes US trade deal / Zero tariffs for plastics, chemicals shelved / Mercosur agreement on hold for judicial review	23.01.2026
PACKAGING WASTE EUROPE EU to implement labelling specifications by August 2026 / Visual harmonisation a PPWR priority	22.01.2026
EU-US RELATIONS European Union reconsiders trade deal with US over Trump's Greenland threats / EUR 93 bn in retaliatory tariffs on US goods back on the table – reports	19.01.2026
AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY Supplier organisation reports 104,000 job cuts over two years / EU strengths should be backed by policy / Commission's Automotive Package eases 2035 targets	19.01.2026
EU TRADE Automotive set to benefit from new “landmark” EU-Mercosur trade deal / Farmers blast agreement as a “sell out”	14.01.2026
BUTANEDIOL Coming soon: Provisional anti-dumping duties on imports from US, China, Saudi Arabia	12.01.2026
PET Turkey imposes immediate provisional duties / Investigation into PTA imports launched	12.01.2026
PACKAGING WASTE LEGISLATION Spanish associations join forces against reuse targets for plastic films in transport / Economic impact not yet entirely clear, says analyst	08.01.2026
POLYMER PRICES Styrenics December: Price quotes end months-long slump / Prices likely to trend slightly firmer in January	06.01.2026
ABS EU considers higher anti-dumping duties on South Korean imports	06.01.2026
EU POLICY European Commission launches programme to support recycling sector / “Unfair and harmful import competition” to be addressed	06.01.2026
YEAR-ENDER: PLASTICS RECYCLING MARKET Europe's reclaim sector faces its toughest year yet / Cheap virgin plastics squeeze recyclates / Strain continues	18.12.2025
EUROPEAN AUTO INDUSTRY Brussels lifts ban on combustion engines / Industry groups offer lukewarm responses / German car lobby calls changes 'disastrous'	18.12.2025
EU POLICY Brussels introduces eighth omnibus / Newest legislation package focused on cost savings for industry / NGOs call environment label Trojan Horse	17.12.2025
YEAR-ENDER 2025: EU ECONOMIC OUTLOOK OECD predicts slowdown in '26 / Spain to lead, Italy to lag among EU Big Four / UK expansion to ease	15.12.2025
PLASTICS TAX UK BPF hails government's mass-balance decision / Move gives companies confidence to invest in recycling facilities, says trade group	15.12.2025