According to the German Central Agency Packaging Register (ZSVR), more and more packaging from abroad is reaching Germany and more and more goods are being sold via electronic marketplaces. This means a lot of packaging. Yet international producers and retailers are often unfamiliar with the German legal provisions governing them. To date, this has often led to illegal conduct on the part of international firms.
Since 3 July 2021, the German Packaging Act (Verpackungsgesetz) will allow international producers and online retailers to appoint an authorized representative in Germany to assume all of the obligations for the party actually under obligation. This ensures that there is a party familiar with German legislation that can also be held accountable in Germany.
The authorized representative reports the data required to the LUCID Packaging Register. For this to happen, the LUCID software had to be reprogrammed extensively.
There is another small change with major impact that will also bring significantly more transparency: instead of an e-mail address, it will be the taxpayer reference number that will now be published. This will make it easier for retailers and marketplaces to identify the parties under legal obligation. The packaging of producers not registered in the LUCID Packaging Register is not permitted for sale in Germany. They are banned from distribution.
An interface now allows retailers and marketplaces to use the taxpayer reference number of producers and online retailers to quickly determine whether they are listed in the register. Free riders become more apparent quicker.
Distributors of packaging subject to licensing without a branch office in Germany can be represented by an authorised representative and transfer essential manufacturer obligations to this person.
As your authorised representative, get-e-right also offers you a convenient and digital service.
If you have any questions on the Packaging Act, the take-e-way consultants will be pleased to assist you. Call +49/40/750687-0 or send an e-mail to beratung@take-e-way.de.
