Single-Use Disposable Beverage Cups Charge: Partial Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment

10. Regulatory and EU alignment impacts

• Intra-UK trade: Is this measure likely to impact on intra-UK trade?

It is not anticipated this measure will impact on intra-UK trade.

• International trade: Is this measure likely to impact on international trade and investment?

No

• EU alignment: Is this measure likely to impact on the Scottish Government’s policy to maintain alignment with the EU?

This policy exceeds the requirements of Article 4 of the EU’s Directive on Single-Use Plastics^[65] to take necessary measures to achieve an ambitious and sustained reduction in the consumption of single-use plastic cups for beverages and their covers and lids. The proposed scope of the policy includes non-plastic single-use disposable beverage cups as well as the single-use plastic beverage cups required by the EU Directive. This will not adversely affect EU alignment and will contribute towards Scottish Government maintaining and advancing standards.

This policy would not meet the reporting requirements of Article 13 of the EU Directive. Article 13 of the EU Directive on single-use plastics would have required the UK to report to the EU Commission what measures have been taken to reduce consumption of single-use plastic cups and the number of these items placed on the market each year.

Scottish Government is committed to align with or exceed the EU Directive on single use plastics where able to do so and in a manner that contributes towards maintaining and advancing standards.

We are aware that there are concerns relating to increasing legislative burdens around the addition of reporting requirements. We are also aware of the pressure on the resources and expertise within enforcement bodies to enforce such requirements. We are therefore not proposing that any reporting requirements be included within the regulations and the Scottish Government will consider what is the best approach to evaluating the impact of the regulations.