The Estonian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (EOCM) has been granted the right to be called the Estonian Orthodox Church in court. The registration of this name was initially denied and was considered misleading, as this church does not encompass all Orthodox Christians in Estonia.

On March 24, the Tartu District Court upheld the appeal filed on behalf of the Estonian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, and according to the court’s decision, the new name is in accordance with the law and is not misleading regarding the purpose, scope or legal form of the church. This court decision is final and has entered into force.

Estonian Minister of the Interior Lauri Laenemetz initiated a government bill in 2024 that would ban the activities of parishes in Estonia affiliated with organizations that support Russian aggression. According to the minister, these legislative changes are necessary because the Orthodox Church, which is subordinate to the Moscow Patriarchate, is the most important instrument of influence of Russia and the Kremlin in Estonia.

Taras Antoshevsky from the Religious Information Service of Ukraine (RISU) spoke with Ringo Ringvi, an advisor at the Department of Religious Affairs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Estonia, about the situation of the Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate in Estonia.

Today, the Council and the European Parliament provisionally agreed on a regulation on preventing the loss of plastic pellets – the industrial raw materials used to make plastic products – into the environment. The new rules will help improve the handling of plastic pellets at all stages of the supply chain, both on land and sea.

Stronger prevention of pellet losses

Under the new rules, prevention of plastic pellet losses would be the main objective for operators and EU and non-EU carriers. A clear framework sets out obligations for cases of accidental losses focusing on clean-up operations. A clear set of measures will be included in a risk management plan, prepared by each installation handling pellets. Such measures would tackle, among others,   packaging, loading and unloading, staff training, as well as necessary equipment.

To provide for a level playing field between the EU and non-EU carriers and to ensure accountability and transparency for all carriers of plastic pellets, non-EU carriers will have to designate an authorised representative in the EU.

Achieving simplification and compliance

In line with the simplification goals for smaller companies and reflecting the Council’s approach, the provisional agreement strikes a balance between a high level of environmental protection and the requirements for companies adapted to their different size. In this sense, operators that handle above 1 500 tonnes of plastic pellets annually will have to obtain a certificate issued by an independent third party. Small companies also handling above 1 500 tonnes per year will benefit from lighter obligations, such as one-off certification to be done in 5 years after the entry into force. Finally, companies handling less than 1 500 tonnes annually and microenterprises will only need to issue a self-declaration of conformity.

Maritime transport

The persistence of a plastic pellet in an aquatic environment can be measured over decades or more, since plastic pellets are not biodegradable. Moreover, maritime transport accounted for around 38% of all pellets transported in the EU in 2022.

Therefore, the co-legislators also agreed to set obligations for the transport of plastic pellets by sea (in freight containers), including ensuring good quality packaging and providing transport and cargo-related information, following the guidelines of the International Maritime Organisation.

Next steps

The provisional agreement will now have to be endorsed by the Council and the Parliament. It will then be formally adopted by both institutions, following a legal and linguistic review, and published in the Official Journal of the EU. The regulation will then become applicable 2 years after publication. To facilitate compliance within the maritime sector, the co-legislators agreed to postpone the application of relevant rules by one year (compared to the rest of the rules set out in the regulation).

Background

It is estimated that between 52 140 and 184 290 tonnes of pellets were lost into the environment in the EU in 2019. Pellet losses can occur at various stages along the value chain. Currently, no EU rules specifically cover plastic pellet losses, despite their adverse impacts on the environment, the climate, the economy and potentially on human health. Plastic pellets rank third among the largest sources of unintentional microplastic releases, after paints and tyres.