But more needs to be done, as it is still above the agreed threshold value.
From the article:
The newly-published EU Coastline Macro Litter Trend report found that the amount of marine macro litter (items bigger than 2.5 cm) in the EU coastline has dropped by 29 % between the baseline period (2015-2016) and the assessment period (2020-2021). While the largest reduction in terms of percentages is seen at the Baltic Sea (45%), major efforts at the Mediterranean and the Black Sea have led to impressive reductions in absolute numbers of litter items on the beaches (figure below). On the EU coastlines, single-use plastic was reduced by 40 %. Fisheries-related items decreased by 20 % and plastic bags were down by 20 %. This achievement is the result of multilateral, national, regional, and citizen efforts triggered by the Marine Strategy Framework Directive.
