Biodegradables back in the European news

In late December, newspapers reported that the Italian government is preparing a decree specifying that only plastics conforming to the European standard EN 13432 may be considered "biodegradable".
Coming out against the move was the European environmental organisation FareAmbiente, which has taken the position that it must be possible to market biodegradable plastics without restrictions imposed by standards of dubious scientific validity and environmental sustainability, standards which would effectively end up granting a sort of monopoly to a very limited number of companies. According to FareAmbiente, biodegradable plastics with certified additives are a perfectly acceptable alternative to those based on corn starch, an agricultural product that should be used to feed humans and livestock rather than as a raw material for the chemical industry.