Brussels deals Britain a blow over plastics ban in latest round of 'straw wars'

Brussels will beat Britain in the race to ban plastic straws, EU officials vowed today after dismissing the British government announcement it would outlaw the polluting plastic as merely a plan for a consultation.

Environment Secretary Michael Gove, who has championed the idea of a Green Brexit, ruffled feathers in Brussels after suggesting that Britain will be able to go further and faster on environmental issues outside of the EU.

The European Commission is planning to propose legislation banning single use plastics, such as straws, next month. The ban was coming in a matter of weeks, the commission said.

Theresa May announced on Thursday she was planning a British ban.Although Britain has not yet put forward any legislation banning plastic straws, shakers and stirrers, the ban could be in force as early as next year. Mrs May on urged other countries to follow her lead in a speech declaring war on plastic pollution.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, EU officials scoffed at the idea that Britain had beaten Brussels to the punch.

“The EU has legislation coming next month, while Gove said he is leading the world but all he actually announced is plans to launch a consultation on a ban later this year,” one official told The Telegraph in a blow to British pride.

The bad blood is the latest twist in the “straw wars” between the UK and the EU, which erupted in Twitter spat between Brexiteer Michael Gove and Frans Timmermans, who is first vice-president of the European Commission and Jean-Claude Juncker’s deputy.

“One of the things about being inside the EU is that there are some steps that we might want to take environmentally but can’t yet,” Mr Gove told The Telegraph in February.

“One step ahead of you. EU legislation on single-use plastics coming before the summer. Maybe you can align with us?,” tweeted Mr Timmermans in a cheeky reference to Brexit battles over "regulatory alignment" between the UK and EU. “#EUdoesn’tsuck”, he added.

Mr Gove was not to be cowed. Later, he trolled Donald Tusk, the European Council president after he tweeted a photo of himself in a meeting with Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, with plastic bottles on their table.

“Why the plastic bottles?,” the keen-eyed Environment Secretary hit back on Twitter, “You should be aligning with us in ditching this environment-damaging habit..,. #greenbrexit."

While the EU looks likely to draw first blood in the battle to put forward a bill, any ban it proposes could take years to come into force.

It will also be subject to amendments by the European Parliament and national governments, who must ultimately agree an identical text before it becomes law. In theory, Britain should be able to move any ban onto its lawbooks more quickly.

When asked directly who would win straw wars, a European Commission spokesman told The Telegraph: “I wouldn’t dare to prejudge the outcome of the proposal.”

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs was asked for comment.