Rumours are circulating that discussions to reopen the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation as part of the upcoming Environmental Simplification Package may currently be taking place.
In response, a coalition of industry associations, packaging companies, and NGOs is calling on Executive Vice-President Stéphane Séjourné and Environment Commissioner Jessika Roswall to ensure the integrity of the regulation, and avoid reopening the core legislative text.
“The PPWR,” the groups say, “is a cornerstone of the European circular economy. It establishes the necessary, comprehensive framework that enables truly reusable and recyclable packaging across the Single Market by 2030.
“By setting ambitious, binding rules for design, collection, and recycled content, the PPWR provides the legislative certainty that economic operators urgently need to unlock significant, long-term investments in European production and recycling infrastructure.”
The coalition acknowledges the “complexities” within the final text that came about due to the intense trilogue negotiations, but believes that “reopening the PPWR, even for minor amendments, would create crippling uncertainty.”
The groups claim that reopening the negotiation process could result in extended delays, which would in turn impact the deadlines on which organisations across the packaging value chain are basing investment projections.
According to the coalition: “Maintaining the integrity of the existing Regulation is essential to delivering on Europe’s strategic goals, including the Clean Industrial Deal’s target to double the circular material use rate to 24% by 2030. This ambition is wholly dependent on market stability and predictable legislation.”
Among the organisations backing this message are the industry associations Chemical Recycling Europe, European Moulded Pulp Producers Federation, European Aluminium, New European Reuse Alliance, and CEFLEX; plus the packaging companies ALPLA, FAERCH and TOMRA.
NGOs such as the European Environmental Bureau, Reloop, Rethink Plastic Alliance, and Zero Waste Europe have also endorsed the call.
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