EU ministers split over easing PPWR packaging rules before Black Friday

EU environment commissioner Jessika Roswall urged the Council to speed up simplification of the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation before Black Friday and Christmas shopping, after member states blocked a Commission proposal to delay the authorised-representative requirement until 2035. Austria, Czechia and Estonia want wider exemptions for small producers from extended producer responsibility fees, while Belgium, Spain, France, Germany and Italy oppose further changes beyond the original deregulation proposal, citing the polluter-pays principle.

Why this mattersDelays or carve-outs to PPWR's EPR and representative rules change compliance costs and timelines for every producer placing packaging on the EU market.

• PPWR requires an authorised representative in every EU country a micro-enterprise ships to, at a potential cost of several thousand euros.
• EU countries blocked the Commission's proposal to postpone the authorised-representative requirement for all businesses until 2035.
• Germany proposed limiting the exemption to firms using less than 10 tonnes of packaging waste annually.
• Austria, Czechia and Estonia called for a temporary suspension of the representative requirement and exemption from EPR financial contributions for low-volume producers.
• Belgium, Spain, France, Germany and Italy oppose further amendments beyond the Commission's original deregulation proposal.
• The exemption for very low packaging-waste generators received broad support from ministers at the 13 October Council of the EU meeting.

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