As the leading industry voice in Europe, the European Balloon and Party Council (EBPC) has issued guidance for its members, outlining the organisation’s position on the recently proposed single-use plastic legislation and advising companies of the best way to proceed.
Tuesday 5 June was World Environment Day and this year’s theme was plastic pollution. This came just days after the European Commission released its campaign against Single Use Plastics. The EBPC, in addition to its work around safe practices (see www.partysafe.eu for more information) has also been working proactively to provide useful information and guidance about the directive.
The advice – which is not member-specific – will help party retailers and suppliers prepare answers for and deal with any media or customer enquiries that may follow.
The EBPC is already in contact with the European Commission regarding the proposed Single Use Plastics directive, which was released on Monday 28 May, and is advising members and other concerned parties to be ready to provide feedback during the consultation period.
“It is important [the party industry] maintains a unified approach and voice,” said EBPC operations manager, Suteesh Chumber. “We will provide further guidance on how to provide feedback in the coming weeks.”
The organisation is also currently using a legal team to undertake a comprehensive technical analysis of the proposed SUP directive. These will allow EBPC to engage in constructive dialogue with EU policy makers for the benefit of the industry.
Suteesh explained that all members will be contacted shortly, with further details of how the EBPC will ensure that their voices are heard. “It is important we are all delivering the same message both politically and socially,” he explained. “We will keep everyone updated about how they can get involved and share the message.”
Finally, the EBPC has contacted its members as part of a fundraising drive and is asking for voluntary contributions to help raise monies for the challenges the industry may face against the Single Use Plastics directive.
“We would like to say a special ‘thank-you’ to all the members who have called us to support the EBPC in a variety of ways,” added Suteesh. “We are still looking for further contributions and would like to ensure all members are aware that they can still contribute to the ongoing campaign. We’d also like to encourage any organisation that is yet to join EBPC to consider membership, so we make sure we represent as wide a spectrum as possible of our industry, and speak as one strong voice.”
A media response pack is also available to EBPC members looking for guidance on how to reply to enquiries. Contact EBPC directly for more information.
