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- Ελληνικά
The Council of Ministers approved on 24 July 2024, on the proposal of the Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, Dr.Maria Panayiotou, Regulations entitled "The Waste (Waste Management of Waste Plastic Products for Agricultural Use) Regulations 2024".
The object of the proposed Regulations is the rational management of waste of plastic products for agricultural use.
In Cyprus, the extensive use of plastics in agriculture generates significant quantities of waste annually. Normal management practices include uncontrolled disposal and incineration, while only a very small proportion is subject to sound management.
The Regulations introduce obligations based on the principle of Extended Producer Responsibility and require producers and importers who place agricultural plastic products on the market to set up collective waste management systems. These collective systems will enable farmers/farmers and other users to deliver waste to appropriate collection points to be set up, from which the waste will be collected and transported to licensed facilities for rational management.
The Regulations apply to waste from all types of plastic products for agricultural use (e.g. greenhouse cover plastics, tyres, nets), as well as similar types of products used for other purposes, e.g. other plastics used in anti-fouling infrastructure. They also include provisions in relation to the obligations of producers/distributors of plastic agricultural products, as well as holders of such waste and the licensing procedures for collective systems.
Furthermore, the collective system's licence sets out the recycling targets to be achieved by the system, which may amount to up to 50% of the total quantity of plastic agricultural products placed on the market.
The implementation of the proposed Regulations is expected to result in a significant increase in the quantity of plastic agricultural products placed on the market.
