The operationalisation of the four-cent tax on ultralight plastic bags, used in the bulk sale of bread, fruit, and vegetables, remains in the hands of the Tax Authority (AT) and the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA), but there is still no concrete date for the entry into force of the measure, an official source from the Ministry of Environment and Energy told ECO.

The creation of a contribution on light and very light plastic bags “which are acquired in the bulk sale of bakery products, fresh fruits, and vegetables” was foreseen in the State Budget for 2024 (OE2024) and was to come into force in January, but was postponed for “operational and procedural” reasons, as well as the lack of regulation.

Although the measure was decided by the previous Executive, led by António Costa, the Government led by Luís Montenegro maintains the intention of implementing it. “This is a matter on which the Government remains committed, in line with its commitment to deepening green taxation and waste management goals, given the worrying levels of undue dispersion of plastics and microplastics in the terrestrial and marine environment”, said an official source from the ministry led by Maria da Graça Carvalho.