The European Parliament’s influential environment committee has backed proposed changes to the European Union (EU) packaging and packaging waste directive designed to reduce the use of lightweight plastic carrier bags.

MEPs agreed that the law should tell EU member states to reduce by 80% the consumption of bags thinner than 50 microns by 2019, having halved their use by 2017.

The committee said member states should have the choice of using taxes, levies, marketing restrictions or bans to achieve these ends.

Danish Green MEP Margrete Auken, who coordinated the committee vote, said: “Dramatically reducing the consumption of these plastic bags is easily achievable with a coherent policy.”

Auekn noted that the committee had backed ordering member states to pass laws insisting on selling plastic bags when used to buy food.

Only very light bags for wrapping loose foods such as raw meat, fish and dairy products could be given away, under the new law.

The full parliament will now vote on the proposed revised directive at its April 14-17 session.