December 10, 2025 15:10

The European association representing the flexible packaging value chain, Flexible Packaging Europe (FPE), has welcomed the European Commission’s decision not to reopen the Regulation on Packaging and Packaging Waste (PPWR) as part of the Environmental Omnibus, choosing instead to focus on secondary legislation and on clarifying the current regulatory framework.

The Commission announced that it intends to publish guidance shortly to provide greater clarity and promote harmonized implementation of issues raised during the public consultation on the new regulation.

Simplification efforts will instead be directed at legislation concerning industrial emissions, hazardous substances, the circular economy (including extended producer responsibility), environmental assessments, and geospatial data.

According to the association, the current version of the PPWR is the result of years of technical work and political negotiation, representing a delicate balance between environmental objectives, industrial needs, and market realities. “Reopening it now would undermine legal certainty for businesses and EU competitiveness, at a time when companies are adapting their processes and investing to comply with the new requirements,” FPE stated in a note released today.

“With several requirements entering into force shortly, what the industry needs to ensure it remains competitive is policymakers focusing legal certainty on the timely adoption of fair and workable secondary legislation,” emphasized Karri Koskela, chair of the association (pictured). “In this light, we appreciate that the publication of the PPWR Commission notice and Frequently Asked Questions are seen as a priority – clarification on some provisions and definitions is urgently needed in addition to secondary legislation.”

FPE particularly stresses the need to preserve core elements of the regulation, such as the design for recycling (DfR) criteria, the targets for recycled content, and packaging minimization, areas where flexible packaging already demonstrates high material efficiency performance.

In closing, FPE urges the EU institutions to guarantee a stable regulatory framework and to urgently develop the necessary guidance and secondary legislation, enabling the packaging sector to remain innovative, competitive, and fully aligned with the EU’s circular economy objectives.

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