In a move welcomed by conservationists, the executive arm of the European Union (EU) on Monday proposed a ban on 10 common single-use plastics that, together with fishing gear, account for about 70 percent of marine litter across Europe.

The European Commission’s ban would apply to bags; balloons and balloon sticks; chips and candy wrappers; cigarette butts; cotton buds; cups and lids; cutlery, straws, and stirrers; drink bottles; food containers; and sanitary applications.

The plastics proposal was widely embraced by conservation campaigners, though they challenged European leaders to go further.

“The only way to stop plastics pouring into our oceans is to turn off the flow at its source: production. By reducing the amount of unnecessary plastic we produce, we can make a real difference to the global marine litter crisis,” Oceana Europe executive director Lasse Gustavsson said in a statement.

While applauding the step, Gustavsson emphasized that the ban should “stretch to all single-use plastic products throughout the European Union,” explaining that “the plastics problem is not only on our beaches. Oceana has discovered plastic litter in the depths of our deep blue seas” . . .