As reported by Euwid, according to the European Commission, Regulation (EU) 2025/40 on packaging and packaging waste (PPWR) will come into force as planned on 12 August 2026 – a postponement to 2027 has been rejected.
In a letter, Environment Commissioner Jessika Roswall made it clear that the start date will not be changed, even though the transition during the year is "challenging" for companies.
At the same time, the Commission conceded that Member States should be given special national correction mechanisms for 2026 to cushion any transition and accountability problems associated with the system change.
Industry associations had previously called for the start date to be postponed to 1 January 2027, as they see significant legal and structural risks in the current financial year – including duplicate contracts, uncertain financial flows and destabilisation of existing systems.
In summary: The official schedule remains unchanged – companies must be prepared for August 2026, as the many new requirements of the PPWR will make packaging a product in its own right.
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