British microbeads ban could force the EU to act

BRUSSELS could be forced to take action on microbeads if Britain introduces a ban in defiance of EU rules, campaigners said last night.

Experts claim that although a unilateral move by the UK could potentially flout single market rules, it would push EU officials to accelerate change.

Member states have been putting pressure on the European Commission to get its act together on the pollutants for years, with little progress.

Nearly two years ago, the Netherlands, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg and Sweden issued a joint demand to ban the tiny plastic particles used in detergents and cosmetics. And in May the pressure was stepped up further, as almost half of MEPs signed a demand for action, followed by a decision by all 28 EU states to ask for a ban at a meeting of environment ministers in June.

Campaigners yesterday said Britain should follow the example of Italy, which in 2011 was told it could not ban plastic bags because of EU rules. When Rome introduced the ban anyway from 2013, Brussels rewrote rules to allow countries to bring in such legislation.

Emma Priestland, of Brusselsbased group Seas At Risk, said: ‘We hope that the new UK government will show its green credentials and introduce a ban, which will then force the Commission to follow suit.’