Consumption reduction
Article 4
1. Member States shall take the necessary measures to achieve an ambitious and sustained reduction in the consumption of the single-use plastic products listed in Part A of the Annex, in line with the overall objectives of the Union’s waste policy, in particular waste prevention, leading to a substantial reversal of increasing consumption trends. Those measures shall achieve a measurable quantitative reduction in the consumption of the single-use plastic products listed in Part A of the Annex on the territory of the Member State by 2026 compared to 2022. By 3 July 2021, Member States shall prepare a description of the measures which they have adopted pursuant to the first subparagraph, notify the description to the Commission and make it publicly available. Member States shall integrate the measures set out in the description into the plans or programmes referred to in Article 11 upon the first subsequent update of those plans or programmes in accordance with the relevant legislative acts of the Union governing those plans or programmes, or into any other programmes drawn up specifically for that purpose. The measures may include national consumption reduction targets, measures ensuring that re-usable alternatives to the single-use plastic products listed in Part A of the Annex are made available at the point of sale to the final consumer, economic instruments such as instruments ensuring that those single-use plastic products are not provided free of charge at the point of sale to the final consumer and agreements as referred to in Article 17(3). Member States may impose marketing restrictions in derogation from Article 18 of Directive 94/62/EC for the purposes of preventing such products from becoming litter in order to ensure that they are substituted with alternatives that are re-usable or do not contain plastic. The measures may vary depending on the environmental impact of those single-use plastic products over their life cycle, including when they become litter. Measures adopted pursuant to this paragraph shall be proportionate and non-discriminatory. Member States shall notify the Commission of those measures in accordance with Directive (EU) 2015/1535 of the European Parliament and of the Council ( 23 ) where so required by that Directive. In order to comply with the first subparagraph of this paragraph, each Member State shall monitor the single-use plastic products listed in Part A of the Annex placed on the market and the reduction measures taken and shall report on progress made to the Commission in accordance with paragraph 2 of this Article and Article 13(1) with a view to the establishment of binding quantitative Union targets for consumption reduction. 2. By 3 January 2021, the Commission shall adopt an implementing act laying down the methodology for the calculation and verification of the ambitious and sustained reduction in the consumption of the single-use plastic products listed in Part A of the Annex. That implementing act shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 16(2).