Acta Universitatis Carolinae Iuridica (AUCI) is the main journal of the Faculty of Law of Charles University. It has been published since 1954 and is one of the traditional law journals with a theoretical focus.
As a general law journal, it publishes longer studies and shorter articles on any relevant issues in legal theory and international, European and national law. AUCI also publishes material relating to current legislative issues. AUCI is a peer-reviewed journal and accepts submissions from both Czech and international authors. Contributions by foreign authors are published in their original language – Slovak, English, German, French.
AUCI is a theoretical journal for questions of state and law. It is published by Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Law, through Karolinum Press. It is published four times a year, the dates of publication can be found here.
Articles published in AUCI undergo an independent peer review process, which is anonymous on both sides. Reviewers from the field give their opinion on the scientific quality of the paper and the suitability of publication in the journal. In the case of comments, the opinion is sent back to the author with the possibility of revising the text (see Guidelines for Authors – Per Review Process for more details).
The AUCI journal (ISSN 0323-0619) is registered in the Czech National Bibliography (kept by the National Library of the Czech Republic) and in the Index to Foreign Legal Periodicals (kept by the American Association of Law Libraries). AUCI has been assigned a periodical registration number MK E 18585.
In 2021 the journal AUCI was the first journal of the Faculty of Law of Charles University to be included in the prestigious international database Scopus. This Elsevier database is the largest abstract and citation database of peer-reviewed literature in the world. The editors of the journal expect from the inclusion in the elite Scopus database not only an increase in the readership of the journal, but also an increase in interest in the publication of papers by both Czech and foreign authors.
AUCI is an open journal and all its content is published both on the faculty website and on the Karolinum Press website. Access to it is free of charge. The homepage of AUCI is on the Karolinum Press website.
The AUCI journal uses the Creative Commons license: CC BY 4.0.
Long-term archiving of the digital content of the journal is provided by Portico.
AUC IURIDICA, Vol 72 No 3 (2026), 77–91
ArticlePosuny v oblasti právní úpravy nakládání s mikroplasty a vliv případné mezinárodní úmluvy o plastech
[Developments in the Regulation of Microplastics Management and the Impact of a Potential International Plastics Treaty]
DOI: https://doi.org/10.14712/23366478.2026.106
published online: 01. 09. 2026
abstract
This article examines the recent developments in the EU’s regulatory framework on microplastics and provides an analysis of the ongoing negotiations concerning an international treaty on plastic pollution. The article builds on the adoption of the Microplastics Regulation (2023/2055) and maps subsequent EU legislative steps in this area, in particular the new Pellets Regulation (2025/2365), the Packaging Regulation (2025/40), and the Waste Shipment Regulation (2024/1157). In the second part, the author evaluates the evolution of the draft texts of the future international treaty – from the ambitious and stringent Zero Draft to the compromise-oriented and recommendatory Chair’s Draft Text Proposal of 2025. The article analyses the causes of the diplomatic stalemate, especially the dispute over the inclusion of so‑called upstream measures that would limit the production of primary polymers. In conclusion, the author assesses the potential impact of the international agreement on EU law and notes that without firmly established production limits, the treaty’s influence on EU legislation will remain rather marginal.
keywords: plastic management; EU law; microplastics; global plastic treaty
references (24)
1. EINHAUPL, P. - DEL SAVIO, L. - BERGMANN, M. - JAHNKE, A. The Global Plastic Treaty Can Be Saved - Here's How to Break the Deadlock. Nature [online]. 2026, Vol. 650, s. 33-36 [cit. 2026-03-30]. Dostupné na: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-00314-4. CrossRef
2. H.R.7543 - Plastic Pellet Free Waters Act. In: CONGRESS.GOV [online]. [cit. 2026-03-30]. Dostupné na: https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/7543.
3. High Ambition Coalition to End Plastic Pollution [online]. [cit. 2026-03-30]. Dostupné na: https://hactoendplasticpollution.org/.
4. HOUSSINI, K. - LI, J. - TAN, Q. Complexities of the Global Plastics Supply Chain Revealed in a Trade-Linked Material Flow Analysis. Communications Earth & Environment [online]. 2025, Vol. 6, Art. No. 257 [cit. 2026-03-30]. Dostupné na: https://www.nature.com/articles/s43247-025-02169-5.
5. Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution. In: UNEP [online]. [cit. 2026-03-30]. Dostupné na: https://www.unep.org/inc-plastic-pollution.
6. Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to Develop an International Legally Binding Instrument on Plastic Pollution, Including in the Marine Environment. Chair's Draft Text Proposal. In: UNEP [online]. 13. 8. 2025 [cit. 2026-03-30]. Dostupné na: https://wedocs.unep.org/items/e6b68bdd-cccb-4321-90a8-1d98a0a08222.
7. KOELMANS, A. A. - BESSELING, E. - WEGNER, A. - FOEKEMA, M. Plastic as a Carrier of POPs to Aquatic Organisms: A Model Analysis. Environmental Science & Technology [online]. 2013, Vol. 47, No. 14, s. 7812-7820 [cit. 2026-03-30]. CrossRef
8. MOLOI, S. M. - CARRATTA, G. - KUHNEL, D. From Micro to Macro: Legal Tools for Combating Plastic Pollution at National, EU, and International Levels. Environmental Sciences Europe [online]. 2026, Vol. 38, Art. No. 22, s. 1-29 [cit. 2026-03-30]. Dostupné na: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12302-026-01336-5. CrossRef
9. NOVÁK, A. Mikroplasty a plasty z právního pohledu. Praha: Univerzita Karlova, 2022.
10. OECD. Decision of the Council on the OECD Legal Instruments Control of Transboundary Movements of Wastes Destined for Recovery Operations, OECD/LEGAL/0266 [online]. OECD Legal Instruments. OECD, 2025 [cit. 2026-03-30]. Dostupné na: https://legalinstruments.oecd.org/public/doc/221/221.en.pdf.
11. Plastic Pellet Regulation: The Rethink Plastic Alliance Welcomes the EU Parliament's Green Light. In: Rethink Plastic [online]. 21. 10. 2025 [cit. 2026-03-30]. Dostupné na: https://rethinkplasticalliance.eu/news/plastic-pellet-regulation-the-rethink-plastic-alliance-welcomes-the-eu-parliaments-green-light/.
12. Plastics Treaty Talks Collapse Without a Deal After "Chaotic" Negotiations. In: Climate Home News [online]. 15. 8. 2026 [cit. 2026-03-30]. Dostupné na: https://www.climatechangenews.com/2025/08/15/plastics-treaty-talks-collapse-without-a-deal-after-chaotic-negotiations/.
13. Proposal for a REGULATION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL on Packaging and Packaging Waste, Amending Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 and Directive (EU) 2019/904, and Repealing Directive 94/62/EC, COM/2022/677 final. In: EUR-Lex: Access to European Union Law [online]. Brussels, 30. 11. 2022 [cit. 2026-03-30]. Dostupné na: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=COM:2022:677:FIN.
14. Rozhodnutí Komise v přenesené pravomoci (EU) 2024/1441, kterým se doplňuje směrnice Evropského parlamentu a Rady (EU) 2020/2184 stanovením metodiky pro měření mikroplastů ve vodě určené k lidské spotřebě.
15. SDĚLENÍ KOMISE EVROPSKÉMU PARLAMENTU, RADĚ, EVROPSKÉMU HOSPODÁŘSKÉMU A SOCIÁLNÍMU VÝBORU A VÝBORU REGIONŮ Cesta ke zdravé planetě pro všechny Akční plán EU: "Vstříc nulovému znečištění ovzduší, vod a půdy", COM/2021/400 final. In: EUR-Lex: Access to European Union Law [online]. Brusel, 12. 5. 2021 [cit. 2026-03-30]. Dostupné na: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/CS/ALL/?uri=CELEX:52021DC0400.
16. SCHWERTHEIM, N. EU Revises Waste Shipment Regulation Amid Concerns Over Transparency and Criminal Enforcement. In: Packaging Insights [online]. 28. 3. 2024 [cit. 2026-03-30]. Dostupné na: https://www.packaginginsights.com/news/eu-revises-waste-shipment-regulation-amid-concerns-over-transparency-and-criminal-enforcement.html.
17. SIMON, N. - SCHULTE, M. L. Strengthening Plastic Governance: Towards a New Global Convention [online]. Berlin: adelphi, Heinrich Böll Stiftung, 2017 [cit. 2026-03-30]. Dostupné na: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/321436838_Strengthening_plastic_governance_Towards_a_new_global_convention.
18. Summary report, 5-15 August 2025. Earth Negotiations Bulletin [online]. 2025, Vol. 36, No. 43, s. 1-13 [cit. 2026-03-30]. Dostupné na: https://enb.iisd.org/plastic-pollution-marine-environment-negotiating-committee-inc5.2-summary.
19. United Nations Environment Assembly of the United Nations Environment Programme. 5/14. End Plastic Pollution: Towards an International Legally Binding Instrument: Resolution Adopted by the United Nations Environment Assembly, UNEP/EA.5/Res.14. In: United Nations Digital Library [online]. 2. 3. 2022 [cit. 2026-03-30]. Dostupné na: https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/3999257?v=pdf.
20. United Nations Environment Assembly of the United Nations Environment Programme. Draft Resolution to End Plastic Pollution: Towards an International Legally Binding Instrument, UNEP/EA.5/L.23/Rev.1. In: UNEP [online]. 2. 3. 2022 [cit. 2026-03-30]. Dostupné na: https://wedocs.unep.org/bitstream/handle/20.500.11822/38522/k2200647_-_unep-ea-5-l-23-rev-1_-_advance.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y.
21. United Nations Environment Programme. Revised Draft Text of the International Legally Binding Instrument on Plastic Pollution, Including in the Marine Environment, UNEP/PP/INC.4/3. In: UNEP [online]. 23. 12. 2023 [cit. 2026-03-30]. Dostupné na: https://www.unep.org/inc-plastic-pollution.
22. United Nations Environment Programme. Zero Draft Text of the International Legally Binding Instrument on Plastic Pollution, Including in the Marine Environment, UNEP/PP/INC.3/4. In: UNEP [online]. 4. 9. 2023 [cit. 2026-03-30]. Dostupné na: https://wedocs.unep.org/items/314be8a7-54db-438b-842d-93237172de70.
23. VON EYE, M. - CONDAMINE, P. Waste Trade and Incineration - Debunking an Unnecessary Alliance [online]. Zerowaste Europe, 2022 [cit. 2026-03-30]. Dostupné na: https://zerowasteeurope.eu/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/zwe_feb22wastetrade_incineration_study.pdf.
24. Where is Europe's PET Industry at in 2025? In: Packaging Europe [online]. 18. 2. 2025 [cit. 2026-03-30]. Dostupné na: https://packagingeurope.com/features/where-is-europes-pet-industry-at-in-2025/12499.article.

Posuny v oblasti právní úpravy nakládání s mikroplasty a vliv případné mezinárodní úmluvy o plastech is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
157 x 230 mm
periodicity: 4 x per year
print price: 65 czk
ISSN: 0323-0619
E-ISSN: 2336-6478

