127 industry organisations urge the EU to safeguard the Internal Market for packaging and packaged goods

Brussels, 18 October 2017 – In view of the forthcoming inter-institutional negotiations to finalise the revision of the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive (PPWD), as part of the Circular Economy Package, EUROPEN and 126 other EU and national industry associations, representing a vast range of sectors [1], call on the EU to safeguard the free movement of (packaged) goods.

In their cross-industry joint statement[2] released today at a breakfast event organised by EUROPEN, these 127 organisations express their deep concern about Member States paving the way to effectively re-nationalise packaging policy in the near future, endangering the Internal Market for all packaged goods.

This urgent concern relates to Member States’ wish to change the legal base for several provisions of the revised PPWD from the Internal Market to Environmental Protection. This will not as such result in higher environmental standards, but risks opening a Pandora’s Box of divergent national regulations. The signatories urge EU policymakers to retain the Internal Market as the sole legal base of the PPWD.

“We fully support high environmental protection standards and welcome the revision of the PPWD as an important milestone for raising the bar in terms of packaging and packaging waste management,” said Hans van Bochove, Coca-Cola European Partners, and Chairman of EUROPEN. “But EU industries cannot achieve the objectives of the EU Circular Economy package without the Internal Market. More –and not less – EU wide harmonising measures will be needed for a Circular Economy in Europe.”

“We shouldn’t fool ourselves that this is just a technical, legal question with no consequences,” said Martin Reynolds, Crown Europe, EUROPEN board member. “It is a political choice about whether we want a proper Internal Market or not. Our answer is clear: we absolutely need a strong EU Internal Market, unhampered by regulatory trade barriers, to provide the necessary scale in supply chains, operations, investment and innovation for successful Circular Economy solutions.” “We hope that this unprecedented industry call will not remain ignored during the forthcoming PPWD inter-institutional negotiations”, he concluded.

For all enquiries, please contact:
EUROPEN
T: +32 2 736 36 00
Email: packaging@europen-packaging.eu
Website: www.europen-packaging.eu
Follow us on Twitter @EUROPEN_ORG

Notes for Editors:
About EUROPEN
EUROPEN -- the European Organization for Packaging and the Environment -- is an EU industry association in Brussels presenting the opinion of the packaging supply chain in Europe on issues related to packaging and the environment, without favouring any specific material or system. EUROPEN members are comprised of multinational corporate companies spanning the packaging value chain (raw material producers, converters and brand owners) plus national packaging organizations all committed to continuously improving the environmental performances of packaged products, in collaboration with their suppliers and customers.

127 co-signatories:

[1] ACE - The Alliance for Beverage Cartons and the Environment, Afvalfonds Verpakkingen, the Netherlands, AGVU - Arbeitsgemeinschaft Verpackung und Umwelt e.V., Germany, AIDEPI - Associazione delle Industrie del Dolce e della Pasta italiane, Italy, AIM - European Brands Association, A.I.S.E. - The International Association for Soaps, Detergents and Maintenance Products, AmCham EU - American Chamber of Commerce to the European Union, ANFIMA - Associazione Nazionale fra i Fabbricanti di Imballaggi Metallici ed Affini, Italy, ANIA - Association Nationale des Industries Alimentaires, France, APEAL - The Association of European Producers of Steel for Packaging, ARA - Altstoff Recycling Austria AG, Packaging Compliance Scheme, Austria, ARAM - Association for Packaging and the Environment, Romania, ASSOBIBE - Associazione Italiana tra gli Industriali delle Bevande Analcooliche, Italy, ASSOGRAFICI - Italian Association of Graphic Arts and Converting, Italy BABM - Belgian Brands Association, Belgium, BAMA - British Aerosol Manufacturers’ Association, UK, BECI - Belgian Enterprises Commerce and Industry, Belgium, Beverage Can Benelux, The Netherlands, BevCan East, Eastern Europe, BRF - Boissons Rafraîchissantes de France, France, BPF - British Plastics Federation, UK, BRC - British Retail Consortium, UK, BVE - Bundesvereinigung der Deutschen Ernährungsindustrie e.V, Germany, CEEV - Comité Européen des Entreprises Vins, Centromarca Portugal - Portuguese Branded Goods Association, Portugal, CEPI - Confederation of European Paper Industries, CEPI Eurokraft - European Producers of Sack Kraft Paper and Kraft Paper, CITEO - Packaging Recovery Association, France, CICPEN - Industrial Coalition on Packaging and the Environment, Czech Republic, CITPA - International Confederation of Paper and Board Converters in Europe, COFEPAC- Comité Français de l’Emballage Papier Carton, France, CNE - Conseil National de l’Emballage, France, COREPLA- Consorzio nazionale per la raccolta, il riciclaggio e il recupero degli imballaggi in plastica, Italy, Cosmetics Europe - The Personal Care Association, CSZV - Czech Association for Branded Products, Czech Republic, Detailhandel, The Netherlands, DLF - Grocery Manufactures of Denmark, Denmark, DSD - Der Grüne Punkt Dual System for Packaging Recycling, Germany, Ecoembes, Spain, Eco-Rom Ambalaje, Packaging Compliance Scheme, Romania, ECOVIDRIO, Spain, EDANA - The voice of European nonwovens industry, EFBW - European Federation of Bottled Waters, Ekopak, Bosnia and Herzegovina, ELIPSO - Les entreprises de l'emballage plastique et souple, France, Envase y Sociedad - Plataforma por la Sostenibilidad de los Envases, Spain, EPBA - European Portable Battery Association, EPRO - European Association of Plastics Recycling & Recovery Organisations, EuPC - European Plastics Converters, EUROCOMMERCE - The voice of retail and wholesale in Europe, European Aluminium, European Aluminium Foil Association e.V, European Bioplastics, EUROPEN - The European Organization for Packaging and the Environment, EUROSAC - European Federation of Multiwall Paper Sack Manufacturers, EXPRA - Extended Producer Responsibility Alliance, FCD- Fédération du Commerce et de la Distribution, France, FDF - Food and Drink Federation, UK, FEA - European Aerosol Federation, FEB- Federation of Enterprises in Belgium, Belgium, FEBEA - Fédération des Entreprises de la Beauté, France, Federalimentare - Federazione Italiana dell’Industria Alimentare, Italy, FEFCO - European Corrugated Packaging Association, FEICA - Association of the European Adhesive and Sealant Industry, FEVE - The European Container Glass Federation, FEVIA - The Belgian Food and Drink Industry, Belgium, FETRA - Federatie der papier- en kartonverwerkende bedrijven vzw/ Fédération des industries transformatrices de papier et carton asb, Belgium, FIAB - Federación Española de Industrias de la Alimentación y Bebidas, Spain, FIMET - Associação Portuguesa das Industrias de Embalagens Metálicas, Portugal, Flexible Packaging Europe, FNLI - Federatie Nederlandse Levenmiddelen Industrie, The Netherlands, FoodDrinkEurope - The organisation of Europe's food & drink industry, Fost Plus, Belgium, GIFASP- National group of folding carton producers, Italy, GIFCO- National group of corrugated producers, Italy, GIFLEX - Italian association of flexible packaging producers, Italy, GIPEA - Italian association of self-adhesive labels, Italy, Green Dot Cyprus, Cyprus, GreenPak, Malta, Grønt Punkt Norge/Green Dot, Norway, Group’hygiène, France, HE.R.R. Co, Hellenic Recovery Recycling Corporation, Greece, HDE- Handelsverband Deutschland e.V, Germany, IBEC - FoodDrinkIreland, Ireland, IK Industrievereinigung Kunststoffverpackungen e.V, Germany, Industrieverband Körperpflege- und Waschmittel e. V., Germany, ILEC - Institut de liaisons et d’études des industries de consommation, France, INCPEN - The Industry Council For Research On Packaging And The Environment, UK, INTERGRAF - European Federation for Print and Digital Communication, La Boîte Boisson, France, Latas de Bebidas, Spain, Lewiatan - Business Confederation, Poland, Markenartikelverband Austria, Austria, Markenverband e.V., Germany, Metal Packaging Europe, Miljöpack - The Trade & Industry Group, Sweden, MPMA - Metal Packaging Manufacturers Association, UK, MVN - Metalen Verpakkingen Nederland, The Netherlands, ÖKO-Pannon Nonprofit Plc, Hungary, Pack2Go Europe - Europe’s Convenience Food Packaging Association, The Packaging Federation, UK, Pakkaus - Packaging Association, Finland, PlasticsEurope - Association of Plastics Manufacturers, Polish Union of the Cosmetics Industry, Poland, Potravinářská komora České republiky - Federation of the Food and Drink Industries of the Czech Republic, Czech Republic, Pro Carton - The European Association of Carton and Cartonboard manufacturers, Promarca Spain - Spanish Branded Goods Association, Spain, REKOPOL - Recovery Organisation S.A., Poland, REPAK - Packaging Recovery Organisation, Ireland, RUCODEM - Romanian Union of Cosmetics and Detergents manufacturers, Romania, Serving Europe - Branded Food and Beverage Service Chains Association, SEVA - Association of Greek soft drinks industry, Greece, SLICPEN - Industrial Coalition on Packaging and the Environment, Slovakia, SNFBM - Syndicat National des Fabricants de Boîtes, Emballages & Bouchages Métalliques, France, spiritsEUROPE - Representative association for the EU's distilled drinks sector, SZZV - Slovak Association for Branded Products, Slovakia, Sociedade Ponto Verde, S.A. - Packaging Recovery Organisation, Portugal, TIE - Toy Industries of Europe, UNESDA - Union of European Soft Drinks Associations, UKCPI - UK Cleaning Products Industry Association, UK, UWE - Union wallonne des entreprises, Belgium, VALORLUX, Luxembourg, Valpak - Environmental Compliance, Recycling and Sustainability Solutions, UK, VOKA - Vlaams network van ondernemingen, Belgium, VMV - Verband Metallverpackungen, Germany, wafg - Wirtschaftsvereinigung Alkoholfreie Getränke e.V., Germany, Wirtschaftskammer Österreich, Austria

[2] Joint statement from 127 National and EU industries calling to safeguard the Internal Market for Packaging and Packaged Goods in the Circular Economy Package