EU takes part in cleaning up Manila Bay

The EU Delegation collaborated with the Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary and the International Coastal Clean-up volunteers, and was joined by other staff from the Danish and the French embassies. (Photo: European Union in the Philippines/Facebook)

MANILA — The European Union Delegation to the Philippines joined the Manila Bay Cleanup in Roxas Boulevard, Manila on Saturday.

EU Ambassador to the Philippines Franz Jessen said that the delegation’s participation in the cleanup is an “expression of solidarity of the EU with the Philippines in ensuring that our oceans are rid of plastic wastes and other pollutants.”

The EU Delegation collaborated with the Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary and the International Coastal Clean-up volunteers, and was joined by other staff from the Danish and the French embassies.

Jessen said the European Commission, during the early part of the year, adopted a Circular Economy Action Plan to foster a transition to a stronger and more circular economy, where resources are used in a more sustainable way.

The plan aims to ensure that all plastic packaging on the EU market will be recyclable by 2030, the consumption of single-use plastics significantly reduced and the intentional use of micro plastics restricted.

Plastic litter has become a major concern in Asia, including in the Philippines, and the EU Delegation is currently engaged in close dialogue with the government on the development of a national strategy for improving plastic waste management and reducing leakages of plastic waste in the marine environment.

A regional program is also foreseen for a period of three years starting in 2019 to enhance policy dialogue, exchange shared knowledge and lessons learned from Europe, capacity enhancement, technology transfer and piloting of solutions for better plastic waste management in the Asian region.