While plastics are a convenient material, littered plastics cause environmental damage and negatively impact economic activities such as tourism, fisheries and shipping. Under the European Green Deal, the EU is creating a circular economy, where plastics are used in a more sustainable way, re-used and recycled, and not creating waste or pollution.

Directive (EU) 2019/904 on the reduction of the impact of certain plastic products on the environment is an essential element of the Circular Economy Action Plan, and was transposed into national law and applied as of 3 July 2021.

This report is part of UNDP’s efforts to support Bosnia and Herzegovina in achieving Sustainable Development Goals and creating a low-carbon, circular economy. It offers an overview of the transposition status of the Directive in several EU member states and countries from the region of South-East Europe, as well as in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Report also treats the impact of the Directive’s implementation on domestic economy and showcases the private sector’s readiness to adapt to new legislative and market circumstances through several case studies.