(Finance) – “The choice adopted by the European Council yesterday on the PPWR is disconcerting, serious and certainly very worrying because it overturns the decisions taken by a majority of the EU Parliament by re-proposing an outdated and unscientific scheme which opens a dangerous ridge for the Italian food industry which is worth 180 billion euros in turnover and 50 billion in exports”. The President of Federalimentare declared this in a note, Paolo Mascarino.
“The document approved in the Council – he adds – re-proposes the old scheme of bans and prohibitions towards disposable food packaging, effectively ignoring thirty-year scientific literature which demonstrates how the reuse of food packaging, compared to disposable, produces a greater increase in CO2 emissions, worsening all environmental parameters”.
“Furthermore, – continues Mascarino – the EU Council has canceled the exemption from reuse for those countries, Italy in the lead, which have at least 85% collection, a principle instead of the European Parliament had supported and had in fact protected Italy and its production sectors without dismantling the production system built over the years”.
“It must be noted – continues the President of Federalimentare – that in this decision, which in any case may be overcome in the next Trilogue, an ideological approach is prevailing very harmful for productive industries, for employment, for supply chains but above all for the environment and for the circular economy in which Italy excels”.
“Italy’s contrary position is absolutely acceptable and I hope that our institutions will be represented in Europe by the Minister Pichetto Fratin, by Minister Lollobrigida and by Minister Tajanwe continue in the sacrosanct battle to affirm the scientific principles of our position, creating solid alliances that can confirm our motivations which are, I repeat, affirmed by science with measurable and incontrovertible data”, concludes Mascarino.