European law does not define macro-waste and addresses it only as a visual nuisance.

One of the few directives concerning macro-waste, the mandate on Bathing Waters (2006/7/CE) and Strategy for the Marine Environment (2008/56/CE) of June 17 2008, does not legally consider trash as pollution.

In the Strategy for the Marine Environment, the definition of marine pollution references noise, energy, as well as new substances introduced to the marine environment. However it does not address the problem of macro-waste except as a side note in the attached charts.

Why not recognize macro-waste as a real pollutant?

Surfrider hopes of achieving good water quality by 2015, but the results of the strategy are fragmented and not completely accurate as it does not take macro-waste into consideration.
This is why Surfrider continues to fight for the recognition of macro-waste as a pollutant, not just a nuisance.

Macro-waste slipped once again past European Union legislation without recognition as a pollution. It is time to address this problem at its root as a serious problem for our ecosystems. Not recognising macro-waste as a pollution prevents the implementation of a global policy to fight against it on our beaches, coasts and riverbanks.  

The perverted effects of macro-waste's current status 

• There is no global accordance nor coordinated vision that evaluates the real impact of this pollution. However, there are some local initiatives that address the issue: the organization MER-TERRE in the French region of PACA, the projects "Kosta Garbia" in the department Pyrénées-Atlantiques in France, the project "Coast Watch" on the Portuguese coast and "Monitoring Litter" organised by the program OSPAR on the Northern European coastlines. Still, there is no common quatification that allows us to connect different information and evaluate on a global level the volume and impact of macro-waste pollution. In addition, this subject is highly understudied. Though this problem persists, it can no longer be endured by our coastlines.  This subject unfortunately suffers from an incredible lack of information.

• Local authorities in charge of their coastal territories, regularly organise beach clean-ups.  In effect these clean-ups are necessary to limit the impact of macro-waste in the environment.  However, keeping beaches clean is an expensive exercise, and therefore coastal taxpayers are mainly concerned with this type of pollution.  Let's remember, macro-waste comes from 80% of the continent.  This is one of the perverse effects of the absence of recognition of macro-waste as a pollution for coastal populations.  
• These necessary clean-ups also involve some undesireable and indeed fatal effects. In fact, the mechanical clean-ups do not tell the difference between waste and natural elements on the beach (shells, algae...) that are indispensible to coastal ecosystems.  In addition, these clean-ups disinfect and erode the beaches.  Also, by removing the macro-waste that soils our beaches, we reduce the total amount of macro-waste on the coastlines.  As a consequence, we can't properly quantity the volume of macro-waste.  It is therefore possible that the public could underestimate the gravity of the problem and therefore not take appropriate or responsible actions, for example in their disposal of objects on the beach. 

Why the recognition of macro-waste as a pollution has become crucial? 

The starting point for a real decision to be made rests on a thorough assessment, report and an exhaustive vision of the scale and impact of the pollution.  The evaluation of the quantity and impact of macro-waste at a European level within the framework of a uniform protocol is an indispensible start in the fight against macro-waste. 

This global vision of pollution and the awareness surrounding the problem favours a conscious effort on the part of responsible politicians as well as citizens.  

We need to launch a public policy for the management of macro-waste that is  coherent with other global policies concerning other types of pollution.  This pollution must be treated like all others.