Review of the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive

July 2020 - EUROPEN feedback on the Inception Impact Assessment

Following-up on the objectives of the European Green Deal, the European Commission has presented its initiative to review the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive (PPWD). EUROPEN, responded to the Commission’s Inception Impact Assessment in July 2020, expressing its support for the general objective of the revision, which is a well-functioning Internal Market through fully harmonised rules on packaging while tackling the environmental impact of packaging and packaging waste.

The review must be carried out in line with the policy objectives of the European Green Deal and the new Circular Economy Action Plan, which set the basis for an innovation-driven policy agenda to pursue sustainable growth and encourage both ambitious and economically viable solutions to scale-up circularity and contribute to climate neutrality.

EUROPEN has put forward three key principles for the review of the PPWD:

• Preserve the integrity of the Internal Market, by establishing harmonised EU requirements and legislation for packaging, to strengthen the implementation of packaging and packaging waste targets;
• Packaging functionality should be protected and recognised to ensure that packaging intended use is fulfilled;
• Ensure coherence of policy objectives to avoid the risk of undermining the sustainability goals and to support investments in innovation.