Press Release
18 Apr 2018

EUROPEN welcomes strengthened legal framework for EPR and strong Internal Market safeguards in the adopted Circular Economy Package

Brussels, 18 April 2018 – EUROPEN welcomes today’s adoption by the European Parliament of the revised EU waste legislations, as part of the Circular Economy Package. EUROPEN commends EU negotiators for securing a strengthened legal framework for Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), as well as safeguards that will ensure the continued free trade of packaged goods in the EU’s Internal Market.

“After almost three years of negotiations, this adoption represents a significant step for the EU packaging supply chain towards a Circular Economy.” commented EUROPEN Chairman Hans van Bochove (Coca-Cola European Partners). “We welcome in particular the introduction of EPR general minimum requirements in legislation, which will increase transparency, cost-efficiency, accountability, and enforcement of EPR obligations at national level. We regret however the remaining unclear demarcation of producers’ financial obligations, which could potentially be extended beyond producers’ roles and responsibilities at national level”, Mr van Bochove added.

EUROPEN looks forward to contributing to the successful implementation of the new measures. “The adoption of the revised EU legislation is only the end of the beginning. We need now to ensure that the EPR general minimum requirements are implemented in a full, fair and harmonised manner across the EU, so as to create an effective level playing field among the various EPR systems, help achieve the increased packaging recycling targets and publicly stated corporate targets, as well as further boost a viable secondary raw material market”, Mr van Bochove continued.

The EU’s co-legislators also retained the Internal Market as the legal base of the revised Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive (PPWD), recognising that the proper functioning of the Internal Market is a prerequisite for a real Circular Economy. “We are pleased that a proper functioning of a strong Internal Market is recognized as a prerequisite to ensure scalability for investment and innovation needed to move towards a Circular Economy”, said Virginia Janssens, EUROPEN Managing Director, “The Internal Market principle safeguards maximum harmonisation, which is in turn crucial to provide companies in the packaging value chain across Europe the right policy framework to meet both the environmental and economic objectives of the Circular Economy Package.

EUROPEN looks forward to continuing to work constructively with the EU institutions to help ensure that the Circular Economy Package and its Action Plan deliver tangible, sustainable and competitive benefits for the European environment, economy and society.

Notes for Editors:

About EUROPEN

EUROPEN -- the European Organization for Packaging and the Environment -- is a cross-industry organization presenting the opinion of the packaging supply chain in Europe on topics related to packaging, packaging waste and the environment, independent of any specific packaging materials or systems. 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.

See more on our Website:www.europen-packaging.eu 

Follow us on Twitter:@EUROPEN_ORG