EU Plans Stricter Plastic Import Controls

The European Union is preparing to tighten controls on plastic imports from early 2026, as a wave of plant closures and financial pressure across the bloc’s recycling industry threatens its circular economy targets. The European Commission said it will propose stricter documentation, new customs codes and increased oversight of imported plastics after Europe lost more recycling capacity in 2025 than in any previous year on record.

Political pressure for intervention has been mounting. Six EU member states, including France, Spain and the Netherlands, formally urged the Commission to act against imports of low-quality recycled plastics, arguing that heavily discounted material is destabilizing markets and accelerating the loss of domestic recycling capacity.

According to industry group Plastics Recyclers Europe, facilities across the Netherlands, Germany and parts of Southern Europe have shut down or scaled back operations as recyclers struggle with persistently high electricity prices, shrinking margins and competition from low-cost imports. 

The Commission says a central challenge is the growing volume of virgin plastic entering the EU market while being declared as recycled material. Virgin plastic, produced directly from fossil fuel feedstocks, is often cheaper than recycled plastic, particularly when oil prices are low, giving imported material a cost advantage over EU-produced recycled plastics.

To address these pressures, the Commission plans to introduce legal changes in 1H26 that would require stricter documentation for imports of recycled plastics. Importers would need to provide more detailed and verifiable information on the origin, composition and processing of materials to improve traceability and curb false environmental claims.

Another proposal under consideration is the introduction of separate customs codes for virgin plastics and recycled plastics. EU officials say the change would allow authorities to track trade flows more accurately, identify misclassification and respond more quickly to irregular import patterns.

“We need to have a level playing field because today there is this sense that not all recycled plastic that is coming into Europe is really recycled: it could be virgin. We lack the information,” said Jessika Roswall, the EU’s Environment Commissioner. 

Such action would build on existing measures. The EU already applies anti-dumping duties on polyethylene terephthalate, or PET, from China, after concluding that imports were sold at prices forcing European producers to operate at a loss. PET is widely used in beverage bottles and food packaging, making it a critical segment of the plastics value chain.

The push comes as the EU seeks to meet ambitious climate and resource-efficiency goals. Installed plastics recycling capacity reached 13.2Mt in 2023, but the Commission forecasts a decline of about 1Mt by 2025 if closures continue. The European Environment Agency estimates that recycled plastics can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 70% compared with virgin materials, depending on polymer type and process.

The Commission has also moved to support energy-intensive industries facing cheap imports and high carbon costs, agreeing this week to allow governments to support 20 sectors, including chemicals, glassmaking and batteries, to reduce the risk of carbon leakage.