FPE opposes the revision and postponement of the PPWR

Recent calls from certain industrial sectors to postpone the application of, and revise the key provisions of, Regulation (EU) 2025/40 on packaging and packaging waste (PPWR) are firmly opposed by Flexible Packaging Europe (FPE), which, while acknowledging that several implementation challenges remain and are limiting the ability of the supply chain to comply with future requirements, considers that such challenges should be addressed through clear, practical and timely secondary legislation ensuring homogeneous implementation, and not by reopening the primary legislative framework.

According to the association representing flexible packaging manufacturers in Europe, the publication of the European Commission’s notice on the PPWR and the FAQs represents a first step, although one that is not currently considered sufficient. FPE calls on the European Commission to urgently step up its efforts and provide the necessary support to the entire packaging supply chain through:
- clear and workable rules enabling compliance with the requirements applicable as of August 2026, including realistic compliance pathways agreed with the national authorities, in order to ensure homogeneous implementation, for example as regards PFAS targets;
- the timely adoption of fair and workable secondary legislation in key areas such as recyclability, recycled content in plastic packaging, minimisation and market restrictions, in order to ensure the implementation of such measures by 2030.

Such clarity is considered essential to enable companies to comply in a practical, enforceable and fair manner, while continuing to innovate. Flexible Packaging Europe stands ready to support policy-makers in ensuring the effective implementation of the PPWR. This can be achieved through an urgent high-level dialogue with stakeholders, in order to provide the clarity required for the flexible packaging value chain. The PPWR finally provides a long-awaited harmonised framework for packaging legislation, which is essential for the functioning of the Single Market, but, according to FPE, reopening it would risk generating fragmentation, since Member States could introduce divergent national measures should the European framework be weakened or delayed.

“The flexible packaging sector is ready to deliver on the PPWR’s objectives,” said Karri Koskela (pictured), Chair of Flexible Packaging Europe. “Over the past years, converters across Europe have made significant investments to redesign packaging in line with recyclability, minimisation and recycled content requirements. It is estimated that the sector has invested more than 1 billion euros in research and development in recent years solely to meet the PPWR objectives.”

In conclusion, according to FPE, reopening or delaying the PPWR at this stage would undermine these investments, in addition to those made by brand owners and equipment suppliers, create regulatory uncertainty and risk slowing Europe’s transition towards a circular economy. This would represent a harsh hit to the competitiveness of flexible packaging suppliers, especially considering that more than 95% of the materials produced by European suppliers are converted in Europe and are used to package products sold and consumed in Europe. Maintaining the integrity of the PPWR is therefore essential not only for environmental objectives, but also to ensure a level playing field for businesses operating across Europe.