The EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation has been definitively approved

On December 16, 2024, the Council of the European Union finally approved the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, which sets out common and directly applicable rules to prevent and manage packaging waste in the EU Member States.

The approval of the wording concludes the legislative process that commenced two years ago with the legislative proposal submitted by the European Commission in November 2022, and consolidates the provisional political agreement reached between the representatives of the European Parliament and the Presidency of the Council on March 15, 2024.

The aim of this regulation is to deal more efficiently with the increase in packaging waste generated in the EU, to boost the circular economy and to increase the rules governing the internal market for packaging. To this end, the regulation focuses particularly on:

• Promoting high-quality recyclability to enable packaging circularity.
• Setting targets for reducing the amount of packaging generated in general and of plastic packaging in particular.
• Banning single-use plastic packaging starting on January 1, 2030.
• Establishing reuse targets for certain packaging.
• Encouraging refill options for consumers.

Now that the legislative process is complete, the new regulation will need to be signed and published in the Official Journal of the European Union, before coming into force 20 days after its publication date. However, its provisions will not apply immediately: it will be necessary to wait 18 months following its entry into force, as well as for the subsequent adoption of various delegated and implementing acts by the Commission to specify the criteria, requirements and methodologies to be observed for its compliance.

In addition, coinciding with the approval of the new regulation, the Green Transition and Demographic Challenge Ministry has published an Interpretative note on package marking requirements. In other news, the European Commission has opened an infringement procedure (INFR(2024)4029) against Spain for purportedly failing to comply with waste labeling regulations, so it will be necessary to keep an eye on its development and outcome.