EU, like-minded countries lock horns in late-night drama over key clauses

Negotiations on a global treaty to end plastic pollution hit a dramatic impasse as the European Union and a bloc of "Like-Minded Countries" (LMCs) led by Saudi Arabia clashed over key provisions, nearly bringing the process to a standstill.

- S V Krishna Chaitanya @ Geneva

During the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5.2), the EU refused to advance talks on finance (Article 11) without first addressing "upstream measures," provisions aimed at reducing plastic production, eliminating harmful products, and regulating toxic chemicals.

EU negotiators argued that agreeing on funding without knowing what it would support amounted to signing a blank check.