The EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation is creating a more consistent framework, but small businesses selling across borders still face national EPR systems, registration and reporting requirements.
The EU’s new packaging regime is intended to make rules more consistent across the single market
For small businesses selling products across borders, however, a common regulatory framework does not necessarily mean a common compliance process. Regulation (EU) 2025/40, known as the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), entered into force on 11 February 2025 and generally applies from 12 August 2026. It covers packaging and packaging waste regardless of material or origin, with requirements covering packaging design, composition, reuse, recycling and waste management.
The regulation aims to reduce packaging waste and its environmental and health impacts while improving the functioning of the EU internal market. Yet one important part of the system – extended producer responsibility (EPR) – continues to rely on national registers and arrangements. For businesses selling packaged products across borders, compliance therefore depends not only on the EU rules but also on where packaging is first made available on the market, which national system applies and what information must be provided.