With a more attenuated obligation to use recycling, "but confirming an ambitious approach in reducing packaging waste that we believe should be flexible", the Council and European Parliament have reached an agreement on the packaging directive that satisfies the Italian government, which is committed to the battle to defend recycling (a sector in which Italy is a European leader) alongside recycling. "The negotiations between the European institutions on the packaging regulation," explains Environment Minister Gilberto Pichetto Fratin, "are beginning to accommodate some of Italy's requests. "As Italy," the minister points out, "we have succeeded in relaxing the obligation to use recycling when there is no real environmental justification, but confirming an ambitious approach in reducing packaging waste, we believe that it must be flexible, making more use of national experiences. There is still work to be done on the bans on some single-use packaging: their scope has in fact been reduced and limited to plastics. Negotiations are still ongoing, awaiting the final text, and the Italian government continues to strongly advance the position of the country system".
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