Joint letter on the proposed changes to the Deposit Return System for single-use beverage containers in Slovakia

A coalition of EU stakeholders, including EUROPEN, has voiced strong concerns about a proposed amendment to the Slovak legislation on the Deposit Return System (DRS) for single-use beverage packaging.

If adopted, the proposed amendment would introduce significant changes in the management of the DRS system, which has so far proved to be highly successful, allowing the Slovak Republic to improve the collection and recycling of single use beverage packaging, exceeding mandatory EU targets and reducing litter.

To avoid any conflict with several of the principles established in the Slovak and EU legislation, in particular the concept of extended producer responsibility and the minimum requirements for DRS as set out in the proposed #PPWR, the joint letter calls on Slovak authorities to withdraw the amendments and engage in constructive dialogue with industry stakeholders to address any concerns without altering the core structure of the DRS.