Industry associations and a broad coalition of businesses involved in advancing the circular economy have issued a joint call regarding the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, PPWR. In the letter addressed to the presidents of the institutions, they underlined the strategic importance of this legal act for scaling up investment in the European packaging sector and across the circular economy value chain. The authors of the statement indicate that the most important task at this stage should be the timely and effective implementation of the regulation in its adopted form. According to the signatories, the PPWR creates the basis for increasing the recycling of different materials, including plastics, strengthens investment security, and supports the achievement of Europe’s objectives for resource efficiency, circularity, and climate. They also noted that the regulation establishes a long-awaited harmonised legal framework for packaging, important for the proper functioning of the Single Market.
In the signatories’ view, further action should focus on the efficient implementation of the provisions, in particular through the development of clear, robust, and evidence-based secondary legislation prepared in close consultation with industry and technical experts. The authors of the call emphasise that a stable and predictable regulatory environment is of key importance for maintaining investor confidence and supporting the further development of recycling capacity across Europe. They recalled that the PPWR was adopted through the ordinary legislative procedure, with close consultation with stakeholders, which is intended to confirm both its democratic legitimacy and its technical soundness.
The role of secondary legislation
The document stresses that the current priority should be to ensure that the regulation is fully workable and implemented at the right pace. This is to be achieved by developing clear, coherent, and harmonised criteria under secondary legislation, while maintaining consistency with the broader European Union policy agenda, including the Circular Economy Action Plan and the European Green Deal. According to the signatories, the agreed PPWR text provides the necessary balance between ambitious goals and the flexibility required by market and technological realities.
The authors of the letter point out that secondary legislation is the appropriate tool for refining methodologies, definitions, and requirements in line with technological progress and market realities. Such an approach makes it possible to resolve outstanding technical issues without reopening the core assumptions of the entire legal act.
Market and investment environment
The joint call draws attention to the current economic conditions, in which European industry is operating under pressure from geopolitical tensions, evolving international trade measures, and rising energy and raw material costs. In the signatories’ assessment, these factors are already exerting significant pressure on industry in Europe. In such an environment, maintaining the pace of the transition towards a circular economy and reducing dependence on virgin resources requires regulatory certainty and continuity of investment in circular business models across the Union.
The signatories conclude that the timely and coherent implementation of the PPWR should remain a priority. They also declare their readiness for constructive cooperation with European institutions so that the regulation can achieve its objectives and support a strong, competitive, and sustainable circular plastics value chain in Europe.
