Today, the Council has reached an agreement ('general approach') on a proposal for a regulation on packaging and packaging waste. The aim is to tackle the increase in packaging waste generated in the EU, while harmonising the internal market for packaging and boosting the circular economy.
The proposal considers the full life cycle of packaging. It establishes requirements to ensure that packaging is safe and sustainable, by requiring that all packaging is recyclable and that the presence of substances of concern is minimised. It also sets labelling requirements to improve consumer information. In line with the waste hierarchy, the proposal aims to minimise the generation of packaging waste by setting binding re-use targets, restricting certain types of single-use packaging and requiring economic operators to minimise the packaging used.
Once the packaging becomes waste, the proposal aims to ensure that packaging is collected, sorted and recycled to the highest possible standard. To this end, it sets criteria for the extended producer responsibility schemes, and lays down provisions on waste management, while ensuring that member states have sufficient flexibility to maintain existing well-functioning systems.
The general approach will serve as a mandate for negotiations with the European Parliament on the final shape of the legislation.
Main changes agreed by the Council
The Council’s text strikes a balance between keeping the proposal's ambition to reduce and prevent the generation of packaging waste, and allowing member states sufficient flexibility in the implementation of the regulation.
Scope of the regulation
The Council maintained the scope of the Commission’s proposal, covering all packaging, regardless of the material used, and all packaging waste, regardless of its origin (including industry, manufacturing, retail, households).
Sustainability requirements and recyclable packaging
The text of the general approach maintains most of the sustainability requirements for all packaging placed on the market and headline targets proposed by the Commission.
It strengthens the requirements for substances in packaging by calling on the Commission, assisted by the European Chemicals Agency, to prepare a report by 2026 on the presence of substances of concern in packaging, to determine whether they negatively affect the re-use or recycling of materials or have an impact on chemical safety.
The Council amended the proposal on recyclable packaging. While maintaining that all packaging placed on the market must be recyclable as proposed by the Commission, member states agreed that packaging will be considered recyclable when designed for material recycling, and when the waste packaging can be separately collected, sorted and recycled at scale (the latter condition will apply from 2035).
For more information:
Carlo Zarcone
European Council
Tel.: +32 471 33 46 00
carlo.zarcone@consilium.europa.euEmail: