The EU Commission intends to stick to the planned start date in August 2026.

According to Euwid, Environment Commissioner Jessika Roswall has stated in a letter to an association of affected parties and to members of the German Bundestag that the new obligations under the EU Packaging Regulation (Packaging and Packing Waste Regulation, PPWR) are to apply as planned from August 12, 2026. Implementation of the PPWR has already begun, and the Commission is coordinating with stakeholders to ensure timely implementation, Roswall said. However, according to Euwid, Roswall has proposed a pragmatic solution instead of an extension of the deadline, for which her services are examining options within the existing legal framework. Among other things, member states are to be given national leeway for corrective mechanisms in 2026. This would allow transitional problems caused by the shift in responsibilities between obligated producers to be addressed. The aim is to achieve a coherent approach in all member states.
 
According to Euwid, Roswall's letter is a response to an appeal from 17 industry and trade associations, including BDE, bvse, IK, HDE, BVE, GKV, Markenverband and Milchindustrie-Verband, which had addressed a joint letter to Federal Environment Minister Carsten Schneider on July 7. In it, they warned of serious risks posed by the entry into force of the new obligations in the middle of the current financial year. According to the associations, there is a risk of a system failure due to duplicate contracts, parallel data reporting, and unclear financial flows. This could lead to financing gaps, disruptions to municipal services, and destabilization of EPR structures. The associations had therefore called for the effective date of the EU regulation to be postponed to January 1, 2027.
 
Sources:

• euwid-recycling.de (14.10.2025)
• Photo: © EU-Kommission - Audiovisual Service