PPWR update: an overview of recent developments
The European Union wants to implement more measures to promote sustainable packaging solutions. This is reflected in the currently hotly debated draft of the Packaging & Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), which was presented in November 2022. This regulation contains binding rules for packaging and packaging waste in the European single market and significantly expands the existing EU directives. In contrast to the previous EU Packaging Directive, the PPWR would apply uniformly as a regulation in all 27 EU member states and therefore offer less room for manoeuvre for individual national regulations. Detailed information on the measures of the PPWR can be found here. However, the PPWR is not yet a done deal; it still has a few hurdles to overcome before it finally comes into force.
We will keep you up to date on the latest status in this article.
The current developments of the PPWR
- April 2024: On Wednesday, 24 April 2024, Parliament approved the PPWR Regulation in the plenary session of the European Parliament. It was adopted with 476 votes in favour, 129 against and 24 abstentions. In order to be formally adopted, the PPWR will now be translated into the official languages of the EU before the new Parliament has to give its final approval in autumn 2024. The regulations should then take effect 18 months after the regulation comes into force. As things stand, that would be in summer 2026.
- March 2024: On 4 March 2024, the European Parliament and the Council reached a provisional agreement on the PPWR Regulation after two months of intensive negotiations (trilogue negotiations). However, the negotiations will not be finalised before the European elections in June 2024. This means that the final approval and implementation of the PPWR Regulation must be carried out by the newly elected European Parliament. This is expected to be the case at the end of 2024 or beginning of 2025.
- November 2023: At the end of November, the European Parliament voted in favour of the PPWR. However, the regulation is not yet finalised. In the coming weeks, the European Council will examine the proposals, followed by negotiations between the European Commission, the European Parliament and the European Council.
When will the PPWR come into force?
The PPWR has not yet been finalised, which means that it is not yet clear whether it will come into force at all. However, the signs are very good. The exact date on which the PPWR will come into force is therefore still unclear. If the new parliament gives its final approval in the autumn, the regulation could come into force in summer 2026.
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