Etsy campaigns for EU sellers to lobby for simpler EPR packaging rules
Etsy has launched a petition asking its marketplace sellers to press EU policymakers to harmonise Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) packaging rules across Member States and create a simplified compliance pathway for low-volume cross-border sellers. The campaign, announced September 9 by VP of Customer Operations James Ossman, comes as the EU's Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) has applied since August 12 alongside divergent national EPR registration systems. Etsy says it will submit collected signatures to EU decision-makers as the bloc works on the Circular Economy Act and Environmental Omnibus reforms expected later this year.
Why this mattersDivergent national EPR regimes raise compliance costs for cross-border sellers and marketplaces, a friction point packaging producers and EPR scheme operators will need to navigate as harmonisation is debated.
- Etsy posted the petition announcement on September 9, 2026, via VP of Customer Operations James Ossman.
- The EU's Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) began applying on August 12, 2026.
- Etsy updated its Seller Handbook on September 3, 2026 regarding varying national EPR obligations.
- Etsy currently collects EPR registration information for France, Germany and Spain.
- The Council of the EU discontinued negotiations on suspending some Authorized Representative EPR requirements in June 2026 after most Member States raised reservations.
- The Commission expects a more comprehensive EPR review under the planned Circular Economy Act later in 2026.