European Union (Extended Producer Responsibility) (Fishing Gear Containing Plastic) Regulations 2022 (S.I. No. 612/2022).

These Regulations have the purpose of giving further effect to Directive (EU) 2019/904/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 June 2019 on the reduction of the impact of certain plastics on the environment; these Regulations apply to: fishing gear containing plastic, and components of fishing gear containing plastic. These Regulations requires producers of those products to establish an Extended Producer Responsibility Scheme (hereafter “the scheme”) to operate in respect of relevant products. ) The costs of operating the scheme shall be recouped from: registration fees set by an approved body, producer fees set by an approved body on the basis of quantity, weight and material of relevant products placed on the market, any other source created by an approved body. An approved body shall set any producer and registration fees to meet only its costs of operation and not for profit. Part III provides for functions of approved body; indicates information required to accompany request for approval to operate an Extended Producer Scheme to the Minister; procedure for gran, refusal, review, revocation of approval, etc. Part IV establishes obligations of producer; a producer shall not place a relevant product on the market in the State unless he or she is a member of an approved body; a producer who is established in another Member State or a country outside of the European Union shall appoint an authorized representative to fulfil the obligations of that producer pursuant to these Regulations. Part V enforcement and Part VI offences.