The Plenary of the Parliament of Navarra adopted on 30 March the Foral Law on Excise Duty on non-reusable plastic packaging. From now on, for every kilogram of non-recyclable plastic generated by Navarre companies or acquired from other communities, an indirect tax of EUR 0.45 should be paid. As far as manufacturing is concerned, if the ships are manufactured within Navarra, the Hacienda Foral would manage and collect the tax, while in the case of imports it would be done by local authorities.

PSN, Geroa Bai, EH Bildu, Ahal Dugu and thanks to the favourable votes of Left Left Left Left Left Left the proposal has advanced, Navarre Suma voted against. The new measure is a requirement arising from the latest update of the Economic Convention between the Governments of Spain and Navarre, in relation to the Waste and Contaminated Land Act adopted in February this year. It states that Navarre will apply the same State rule for the application of excise duty to non-reusable plastic packaging, both empty and with goods.

When the packaging consists of more than one material and one of them is plastic, they will be taxed by the number of plastics. However, this excise duty shall not apply to medicinal products or other medical devices. This measure will also not cover plastic products used in agricultural or livestock silage.

The Parliament of Navarre announced by a note that “the aim of the new tax is to reduce the production and use of non-recyclable plastic for environmental reasons”, and instead, that companies should opt for sustainable products. As we know, this material is only disposed of in smaller parts, that is, in microplastics. Many organisms, especially fish, ingest these microplastics and die. In addition, the note notes that “the consequences of microplastics remaining within human bodies are truly worrying,” as “we can find them in some foods from the sea, salt and bottled water.”