Legislation

Commission's proposal for a Green Claims Directive (GCD) seeks to establish a framework to regulate the substantiation and communication of voluntary environmental claims across the EU. At the heart of the proposal, and still matter of discussion, is the EU Commission’s plan to establish a mechanism of ‘ex-ante verification’, requiring environmental claims and labelling schemes to be verified by an officially accredited independent body.

The Italian Ministry for the Environment has submitted a proposal to the European Commission outlining technical rules that define when plastic plates, cutlery, straws, and other items can be considered "reusable" rather than "single-use". This measure represents an important step in clarifying existing regulations and helping consumers and businesses distinguish between products that can be reused and those intended for single use.

On 22 January, the text of the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) and its translations were officially published in the Official Journal of the European Union.
Under Article 71 of the Regulation, the text will enter into force on the 20th day following its publication, i.e., on 11 February 2025, and will become applicable starting from 12 August 2026.

In the context of ongoing challenges for the EU Single Market, 2025 is shaping up to be a crucial year for the packaging industry, particularly regarding waste regulations and labelling. The recent developments in France and Spain regarding mandatory waste sorting labels and packaging are just the tip of the iceberg, with the European Commission set to strengthen the enforcement of Single Market rules.

With reference to the implementation of the recycled content obligation for beverage bottles made of R-PET, the Ministry of Environment and Energy Security has issued the following official statement:

The new Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) represents a crucial step towards achieving the goals of the European Green Deal.

On 29th August 2024, the Zentrale Stelle Verpackungsregister (ZSVR) updated the minimum standard for recyclable packaging, incorporating new categories of materials. In addition to the traditional polyethylene (PE) and polyamide (PA) barrier films, films containing ethylene-vinyl-alcohol copolymer (EVOH) are now recognised as recyclable.

The German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) has announced its support for the COPPA project, led by the German plastics research centre SKZ, aimed at promoting the safe use of recycled plastics in food packaging. Digitalisation and the implementation of transparent product tracking systems are essential for ensuring the quality and safety of the materials used.

Plastic labels and liners, although smaller and thinner than the overall packaging, play a significant role in the waste stream. They are an integral part of the packaging and essential for conveying product information, but pose a number of problems at the recycling stage.

In a joint press release issued on 15 February, EuPC, IK and Elipso expressed the legal opinion that the special rules for plastic packaging and the exemptions for other packaging materials discussed in the planned EU regulation (PPWR) are most likely incompatible with EU law.