Over 120 packaging industry associations have issued a joint letter urging co-legislators to preserve the internal market legal basis of the European Union’s (EU) Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation.
The letter states that this is the “best way” to achieve the environmental and economic objectives of the proposal.
European Packaging, an organisation representing the packaging industry value chain, says the internal market legal basis serves to address the differences among national rules on the management of packaging and packaging waste.
The organisation continues that the packaging value chain has been under pressure recently due to an increase of unilateral and divergent national packaging requirements, such as packaging bans, reuse and recycled content targets, and labelling requirements.
The letter reads: “A robust EU single market is key to achieving the free movement of packaging materials and packaged goods. Packaging is an essential part of a product supply chain, from the production to the consumption stage, and the packaging value chain plays a central role in contributing to a resource-efficient and circular economy.
A robust EU single market is key to achieving the free movement of packaging materials and packaged goods.
“For instance, by optimising resource use, minimising product and food waste and by protecting products all along the value chain.
“Additionally, ensuring that packaging waste is duly collected and makes its way into recycling allows valuable raw materials to come back in the value chain and be used across the Single Market.”
European Packaging says the proposed changes would further exacerbate pressures by increasing fragmentation of the Union market and undermine the objective of creating one circular economy comprising all Member States.
The letter concludes: “With broad stakeholder support across Europe, we urge co-legislators to preserve in its entirety the internal market legal basis, which is best suited to serve the environmental and economic objectives of the proposed Regulation.”
