36 packaging value chain industry associations launch joint recommendations ahead of negotiations on the EU CEP
Brussels, 15 March 2017 – Following the European Parliament’s plenary vote on legislative proposals amending the Waste Framework Directive (WFD) and Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive (PPWD), EUROPEN and 35 other associations[1] representing a wide range of sectors including retailers, consumer goods brands, packaging producers, material producers and extended producer responsibility (EPR) organisations, have announced joint recommendations in view of the forthcoming inter-institutional negotiations on the Circular Economy Package.
The 36 organisations call on the EU institutions to seek an agreement that strikes the right balance between the environmental and economic objectives of the Circular Economy package that is evidence-based and workable in practice. Importantly, the organisations call to maintain the EU Internal Market as the sole legal base (article 114 TFEU) for the PPWD to safeguard the free circulation of packaging and packaged goods. This is a pre-condition to ensure the scale and unlock investments needed to achieve tangible and sustainable benefits for European citizens, businesses and society as a whole.
“This legislation is of critical importance to many industries that depend on packaging to ensure the quality and safety of their products when delivered across the EU to the final consumer,” said Hans van Bochove of Coca-Cola European Partners and EUROPEN Chairman. “We welcome the Parliament’s vote, which safeguards the integrity of the Internal Market in the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive. This is crucial to give the packaging supply chain the security and scale to invest in green innovations,” underlined Mr Van Bochove.
The joint industry recommendations[2], announced in view of the upcoming inter-institutional negotiations, call on the Parliament, Council and Commission to ensure that the Circular Economy Package:
• Maintains the EU Internal Market as the sole legal base (article 114 TFEU) for the PPWD to safeguard the free circulation of packaging and packaged goods;
• Ensures Extended – not Endless – Producer Responsibility for packaging waste management, clearly demarcating their responsibilities and related costs;
• Develops an EU harmonised calculation methodology with clarified definitions and robust data prior to assessing the feasibility of setting quantitative targets for reusable packaging;
• Sets packaging recycling targets that are realistic and achievable with clear and EU harmonised definitions and packaging recycling calculation method.
“We are encouraged by the Parliament’s vote to keep the EU EPR general requirements in the proposal and hope that the Council acknowledges this important signal,” said Virginia Janssens, EUROPEN Managing Director. “Our industries are particularly pleased with Parliament’s efforts to demarcate the producer’s responsibility, thereby recognising the shared responsibility and accountability of all stakeholders involved in national EPR implementation. EUROPEN looks forward to continuing to work constructively with the EU institutions in view of the forthcoming negotiations to help ensure that the Circular Economy can be implemented in a proper and resource-efficient manner”, she concluded.
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.
[1]AGVU - Arbeitsgemeinschaft Verpackung und Umwelt e.V., Germany, AIM – European Brands Association, A.I.S.E. – The International Association for Soaps, Detergents and Maintenance Products, ARA – Altstoff Recycling Austria AG Packaging Compliance Scheme, Austria, ARAM – Romanian Association for Packaging and the Environment, BIHPAK – Bosnia and Herzegovina Association for Packaging & Packaging Waste Management, CICPEN – Czech Industrial Coalition on Packaging and the Environment, Cosmetics Europe – The Personal Care Association, DSD - Der Grüne Punkt Dual System for Packaging Recycling, Germany, Eco-Emballages – Packaging Recovery Association, France, EDANA – The voice of European nonwovens industry, EUROCOMMERCE – The voice of retail and wholesale in Europe, European Aluminium, EAFA- European Aluminium Foil Association, EUROPEN – The European Organization for Packaging and the Environment, EPRO – European Association of Plastics Recycling & Recovery Organisations, EXPRA – Extended Producer Responsibility Alliance, FEA – European Aerosol Federation, FEVE – The European Container Glass Federation, Flexible Packaging Europe, FoodDrinkEurope - The organisation of Europe's food & drink industry, IK- Industrievereinigung Kunststoffverpackungen e.V., Germany, INCPEN - The Industry Council for Research on Packaging and the Environment, UK, INTERGRAF– European Federation for Print and Digital Communication, Metal Packaging Europe, Miljöpack – Trade Industry Group, Sweden, Pack2Go Europe - Europe’s Convenience Food Packaging Association, Pakkaus – Finnish Packaging Association, REKOPOL - Recovery Organisation S.A., Poland, REPAK - Packaging Recovery Organisation, Ireland, Serving Europe - Branded Food and Beverage Service Chains Association, SLICPEN – Slovak Industrial Coalition on Packaging and the Environment, Sociedade Ponto Verde, S.A. – Packaging Recovery Organisation, Portugal, TIE –Toy Industries of Europe, UNESDA – Union of European Soft Drinks Associations, Valpak - Environmental Compliance, Recycling and Sustainability Solutions, UK