A/HRC/43/53 reproduction, and persistent and bioaccumulative substances. Norway has a priority list of more than 30 substances and groups of substances and reports on progress in reducing emission levels.51 95. Viet Nam has strengthened its environmental regulatory system, as highlighted by the inclusion of the right to a healthy environment in the Constitution (2013) and a new law on environmental protection (2014). In 2016, following massive discharges of toxic substances into the ocean that killed large quantities of fish and shellfish, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment fined the Formosa Steel company $500 million for pollution exceeding permitted levels and required the company to carry out environmental remediation of damaged areas. 96. Plastic pollution is a huge global concern because of its impact on humans and biodiversity. The European Union has enacted the most comprehensive legislation, Directive (EU) 2019/904, to reduce plastic waste. Banned items include plastic cutlery, plates, stirrers, straws, expanded polystyrene (foam) food and beverage containers, and balloon sticks. Extended producer responsibility rules cover additional plastic products and packaging. By 2029, 90 per cent of single-use plastic wastes must be collected for recycling. 97. Germany has an advanced waste management system, protecting human health, human rights and the environment through strong legislation and regulations, strong institutions to implement, monitor and enforce rules, adequate financing through the application of the “polluter pays” principle, and use of the best available technologies. In 2017, 68 per cent of municipal waste in Germany was recycled, the highest rate in the world. 52 98. Albania, Bahrain, Burkina Faso, Kenya, Montenegro, Rwanda, Samoa, Senegal and Uzbekistan have banned plastic bags, thereby reducing plastic pollution and animal deaths, and preventing clogged drains, which can contribute to flooding and malaria. These policies also improve air quality, as plastic bags are no longer disposed of by burning. 99. Perverse subsidies are government subsidies that provide financial support for activities that cause environmental harm. For example, in most States, taxes are lower on diesel fuel than gasoline despite the higher levels of toxic emissions from diesel. The United Kingdom was the first State member of the European Union to impose higher fuel excise duties on diesel fuel than regular gasoline. 53 100. Taxes can be used effectively to reduce environmental threats. Pollution fees are widely used. States that levy water effluent charges include France, Germany, Malaysia, the Netherlands and the Philippines. Studies show that water pollution taxes lead to a significant decline in pollution levels.54 Air emission charges are used in many States, including Finland, France, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the United States. 101. The restoration of polluted or contaminated areas is also an important activity in ensuring a non-toxic environment. Pursuant to a federal law passed in 1999 and most recently amended in 2019, the Russian Federation is implementing a wide range of actions to protect Lake Baikal and the surrounding region, including the closure of a pulp and paper mill, the rehabilitation of polluted land, a reduction in the volume of polluted wastewater entering the lake, and increasing the amount of solid waste managed properly. To ensure implementation of and compliance with the legislation on environmental protection in the Lake Baikal watershed, as well as to protect the constitutional right of citizens to a favourable environment, the Baikal Interregional Environmental Prosecutor’s Office was opened in 2017. 102. It is essential that Governments enforce environmental laws when polluters violate standards. Lack of adequate environmental enforcement is a global problem. In 2019, 51 52 53 54 16 See www.environment.no/topics/hazardous-chemicals/list-of-priority-substances/. See https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Municipal_waste_statistics. See European Environment Agency, Transport fuel prices and taxes in Europe, at https://www.eea.europa.eu/data-and-maps/indicators/fuel-prices-and-taxes/assessment-4. Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Environmental Taxation: A Guide for Policymakers, 2011.