The Green Action environmental NGO on Tuesday called on the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development to step up its efforts in the fight against plastic pollution, warning that Croatia is among the worst in the EU in terms of single-use plastics, according to an EU progress report.

The EU reports on progress by EU member states regarding the adoption of national measures regarding obligations from the EU Directive on single-use plastics.

The NGO underscores that prohibited items are still on the market in Croatia as a result of permitted stock sales.

The European Commission has already warned Croatia that proceedings may be initiated against it due to possible violation of EU law. The Green Action warns that Croatia has not yet set its own consumption reduction goals.

As a member of the “Break Free From Plastic” movement, the Green Action participated in the creation of the report which shows that most countries have achieved significant progress, but steps are still expected in terms of political ambitions and the implementation of legislation.

The best countries according to the report in 2021 were Greece, France and Sweden, followed by Luxembourg, Cyprus, Slovenia, Latvia, Denmark and Portugal. Finland and Poland lag behind, and five member states, including Croatia, are not showing enough ambition.

The report shows that most countries have not adopted a national awareness-raising strategy and have left this up to plastic manufacturers.