The European Parliament wants to relieve small and very small enterprises of certain packaging obligations. On October 20, it adopted its position for further negotiations. However, this is not yet a binding exemption in force.
The focus is on the obligation to appoint a representative in the respective sales market. This person or entity handles obligations arising from producer responsibility. This refers to participation in the collection and recovery of packaging placed on the market. The EU Packaging Regulation is frequently abbreviated as PPWR.
The relief provided for by Parliament is directed at small enterprises based in the EU. These are defined as having fewer than 50 employees and an annual turnover or balance sheet total of up to ten million euros. The exact final wording still needs to be agreed upon.
For mail-order retailers and their logistics partners, therefore, restraint is advisable regarding rapid contract changes. Existing representative agreements should not be terminated solely on the basis of this parliamentary announcement. Registration and cost-sharing must also be considered separately. Swiss providers should first clarify which company legally acts as the manufacturer or obligated party and where it is based. A small shipment volume or a small team alone does not guarantee a future exemption for their own operations.