Korea Requests France's Cooperation to Improve EU 'Single-Use Plastic Restriction Policy'

The 18th Korea-France Industrial Cooperation Committee Meeting Held

[Asia Economy Reporter Joo Sang-don] On the 9th, the Korean government requested France to cooperate in improving the system regarding the European Union (EU)'s policy restricting the use of single-use plastics currently in effect.

On this day, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy held the '18th Korea-France Industrial Cooperation Committee' via video conference with the French Ministry of Economy, Finance and Recovery and made this request.

The Korea-France Industrial Cooperation Committee has served as an official channel since 1993 for industrial cooperation between Korea and France, sharing industrial technology policy information, discussing current issues, and establishing a strategic cooperation foundation.

Co-chaired by Kim Wan-ki, Director General of Trade Policy Bureau at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, and Thomas Courbe, Director General of Enterprises at the French Ministry of Economy, the 18th meeting exchanged views and discussed cooperation measures on ▲post-COVID industrial and economic policies ▲sustainable mobility such as electric vehicles and batteries ▲new industries including semiconductors and bio ▲energy transition policies related to carbon neutrality.

In particular, the Korean side explained the difficulties faced by Korean companies entering the EU market due to the EU's single-use plastic restriction policy implemented since July this year, and requested cooperation from France, the EU Council Presidency in the first half of next year, for system improvement. The EU is enforcing a directive regulating single-use plastics to prevent marine pollution caused by plastics. Korean companies have developed marine biodegradable plastics using biomass such as sugarcane, but these are currently excluded from the plastic substitute items recognized by the EU.