Symphony Environmental Technologies PLC receives defence documents in EU case

() said has received defence documents from the Commission, Parliament, and Council of the European Union.

All are defendants in a case being brought by Symphony, whose legal team will now take several weeks to assess what it has received.

The AIM-listed group, which specialises in making plastics smarter, safer and more sustainable, has brought the action as it believes EU institutions failed to make it clear that an intended ban on oxo-degradable plastic does not apply to oxo-biodegradable plastic.

Symphony specialises in the latter, which it created to solve the problems of micro-plastics that the EU is seeking to address with its legislation.

The company said it considers that the ban itself to be illegal “due to a failure to accord due process and because it is disproportionate and discriminatory”.

Chief executive Michael Laurier told investors: “The group remains focused on delivering its objective to improve plastic by making it protective against viruses, bacteria, fungi, fire and insects, and reducing its negative impact on the environment by making it biodegradable.

“The legal costs and demands on management time pertaining to the legal action are not expected to be significant during this year. The preparation and service of the proceedings was accounted for in 2020.”