The Federal Minister for Climate and Environmental Transition, Jean-Luc Crucke (Les Engagés), will participate in the international conference on plastic pollution in Geneva on Thursday.
"This meeting is a key step in the negotiations for a future global, legally binding treaty aimed at ending plastic pollution throughout its life cycle," his office said on Wednesday. "We cannot allow the plastic crisis to worsen. Without action, global production will have tripled by 2060, while less than 10% of plastic waste is currently recycled. These negotiations are an opportunity to show that multilateralism works, even in a difficult geopolitical context," the minister emphasised.
In concrete terms, Belgium supports the European Union’s common position. It therefore advocates limiting the production of plastics and promoting reuse and recycling; banning problematic plastic products and hazardous chemicals; and establishing a robust financial mechanism, in line with the polluter pays principle, involving all parties, including responsible economic actors.
Belgium also advocates for the inclusion of microplastics in the treaty, with binding measures targeting primary and secondary sources (textiles, fishing gear, paints, etc.).
Belgium’s priority is to reach a solid and operational agreement at the end of this session. "We have no time to lose. Every day, millions of tonnes of plastic enter our oceans, rivers and soil, and this issue represents a global public health challenge. Geneva must be the moment when the world chooses a common and binding response," concludes Jean-Luc Crucke.
