The European Commission has challenged Michael Gove to a race to see whether Britain or Brussels can ban plastics first in the latest twist of the battle dubbed “straw wars”.

On Monday, the commission put forward its plans to cut down on single use plastics such as straws, balloon sticks, drink stirrers, cutlery and plates. Instead, those products will have to be made from other, sustainable materials.

Frans Timmermans, Jean-Claude Juncker’s deputy and the commission’s first vice-president, took a swipe at Mr Gove, the British environment secretary, as he launched the bill.

The British government announced its own similar ban in April, which EU officials have dismissed as only being at the consultation stage. In contrast, the EU law is hard legislation, they say.

Brexiteer Mr Gove had hailed the planned British ban as evidence the UK was a world leader and could move on green matters faster outside of the EU than in it, which ruffled feathers in Brussels.

“Let’s see who does best,” Mr Timmermans said before throwing down the gauntlet to Mr Gove to win “a race to the top” in stopping plastics polluting the oceans.

“I invite all those who have said the EU is too slow, be they Michael Gove or anyone else, to join us in this race to the top,” an ebulliently combative Mr Timmermans said.