Brussels, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- The European Commission plans to impose a tax on plastic packaging to reduce environmental pollution and increase EU budget revenue, Gunter Oettinger, the European Commission's budget commissioner, told the media in Brussels on Jan. 10.

Oettinger said that due to China's introduction of a ban on foreign garbage, the EU's plastic waste exports have been affected, so the EU hopes to reduce the use of plastic packaging through the tax.

He said that the details of the tax on plastic packaging, such as whether to tax consumers or producers and the determination of the tax rate, are still under discussion.

Oettinger also said that the EU plans to increase member states' contributions to the EU budget and cut budget spending to fill the fiscal gap left by Britain's "Brexit".

Britain's departure from the EU will leave a budget gap of more than 12 billion euros (1 euro about $1.2) a year, Oettinger said. At the same time, the EU will need to increase spending in areas such as immigration, border control and defense.

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