Under a draft law passed by the European Parliament just before Easter, with 539 in favor, 51 against and 72 abstentions, EU member states would have to halve their use of certain plastic bags by 2017 and cut use to 80% by 2019.

The parliament recommended using taxes and levies, marketing restrictions or bans to curb the use of lightweight bags thinner than 50 microns.

"Swiftly phasing out these bags is a readily implementable solution to the pervasive problem of plastic waste in the environment," said lead member of parliament Margrete Auken of Denmark's Green party.

Under the plan, plastic bags used to wrap foods such as fruit, vegetables and confectionary should be replaced by carrier bags made of recycled paper or biodegradable and compostable bags.

According to an EU estimate, every citizen in 2010 used an estimated 198 plastic carrier bags, some 90% of which were of the lightweight type reused less frequently than thicker bags. The estimate is also said to suggest that more than eight billion plastic carrier bags became litter in the EU in 2010.

The industry organisation European Bioplastics expressed support for the planned legislation as did Italian bioplastics producer Novamont.