End plastic pollution: Towards an international legally binding instrument

CCB • November 30, 2022

News from the first session of the Intergovernmental Negotiation Committee (INC) to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution.

30 November 2022, Punta del Este, Uruguay - Representatives of governments, civil society, business, academia and other stakeholders have gathered this week in Punta del Este, Uruguay, for the First meeting of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-1) to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment.


Coalition Clean Baltic, and some of its Member Organizations, including the Swedish Society for the Nature Conservation, Ecoproject Partnership, and Ecoidea joined the negotiations along with many other civil society groups and movements around the world: IPEN, Break Free from Plastic, and Zero Waste Europe among the others.

Credit: IPEN

CCB believes that the Plastics Treaty process is an important opportunity to protect marine environment and public health from the harms of plastic, and ensure that global, and national control are in place to address the toxic impacts of chemicals and plastic, throughout their lifecycle.


At least 14 million tons of plastic end up in the global ocean every year. Plastic pollution threatens food safety and quality, human health, coastal tourism, and contributes to climate change. Marine litter is a clearly visible problem for the Baltic Sea, and its coastline, and around 70% of the marine litter in the Baltic Sea is plastic.


“The current situation with plastics represents an example of unsustainable consumption and production model with harmful impacts on human health and the environment, especially on the marine environment”, comments Eugeniy Lobanov, CCB Hazardous Substances and Marine Litter Working Area Leader, and participant of INC 1 in Uruguay. He continues: "We advocate for a strong Plastic Treaty, which will address plastic pollution throughout the full lifecycle of plastics. We think that the future Treaty shall address the whole lifecycle of plastic as a material in general rather than addressing specific plastic products or waste. It is also important that the treaty shall address the harmful health effects from chemicals in plastics, and recognize that toxic chemicals make plastic incompatible with a circular economy approach.”



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Article written by Eugeniy Lobanov, CCB Hazardous Substances Working Area Leader.

NGOs to EU decision makers: Commit to a Genuine Baltic Sea Recovery Plan

By CCB • May 28, 2025
Key Baltic fish populations are in crisis, warn environmental NGOs. New scientific advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea, ICES, confirms the poor condition of key Baltic fish populations, several of which remain collapsed (1). EU fisheries ministers must set 2026-catch limits well below ICES advice and prioritise long-term recovery over short-term economic gains.

EU Commission upholds Fisheries Law: Finland's 2025 Atlantic Salmon quota reduced after unjustified overfishing in 2024

By CCB • May 7, 2025
7 May 2025 - Yesterday the European Commission took a strong decision to deduct Finland´s 2025 Atlantic Salmon quota due to unjustified overfishing last year. This action is a clear application of the EU fisheries rules - aiming to ensure sustainable fishing practices and compliance with established quotas - and an important precedent for the consistent enforcement of fisheries law. In 2024, Finland was allocated a strict by-catch quota for Atlantic salmon, with direct fishing prohibited, except for some specific, minor exceptions. Despite this, Finland reported catching 3,162 salmon in a targeted fishery, under a claimed derogation stating the fishery was for scientific research purposes. Upon review, the European Commission concluded that these activities did not meet the legal standards for such an exemption and therefore found this claim unjustified. The number of vessels participating, 32, the number of salmon caught as well as the fact that Finland refused to re-release the salmon after conducting the “scientific research” are all reasons why the fishery cannot be considered to have been carried out for scientific research purposes. As a result, the same number of salmon caught beyond the legal limit in 2024 is now being deducted from Finland’s 2025 quota, from the same stock. “ We welcome the Commission's decision to take enforcement action and apply the law as intended. It sends a clear message to Member States that exceeding quotas will have consequences. However, more consistent enforcement is urgently needed across EU waters, especially in the Baltic Sea, where many fish stocks are collapsing and the ecosystem is in a poor state ” said Aimi Hamberg, CCB Marine Policy Officer. The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Finland has already responded to the Commission´s quota reduction for Atlantic salmon by stating that this decision “is not legally justified” and they will consider taking legal action against it. As this matter continues to evolve, it is highlighting the importance of collective responsibility in managing fish stocks sustainably. Species like salmon, herring and cod , are under increasing pressure due to overfishing, climate change and habitat loss. In this context, rule enforcement is not just a bureaucratic step but a necessary action to ensure the long-term sustainability of marine life in the Baltic Sea.