European Commission issues new guidance on EU packaging rules
New EU guidance clarifies packaging responsibilities, reusable systems and refillable containers, giving beverage producers and hospitality businesses greater certainty before PPWR rules take effect in 2026.
EU – The European Commission has published new guidance on the European Union’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), providing companies and national authorities with greater clarity on rules that will start applying from August 12, 2026, including provisions affecting beverage suppliers and hospitality operators using refillable containers such as beer kegs.
The guidance, published in the Official Journal of the European Union, aims to explain selected aspects of Regulation (EU) 2025/40 after member states and businesses sought clarification on how certain provisions should be interpreted.
According to the Commission, the document is intended to support the timely implementation of the regulation and promote consistent application across the European Union. However, it stressed that the guidance does not alter the legislation or introduce additional obligations.
“The goal is to support timely implementation and more uniform application across the bloc,” the Commission said.
The Commission noted that the PPWR entered into force on February 11, 2025, and will become applicable on August 12, 2026. It added that further implementing acts, delegated acts and additional guidelines will be introduced over the next two to three years.
A major area addressed in the guidance concerns the definition of packaging. The Commission stated that packaging is broadly defined as an item used by an economic operator for containing, protecting, handling, delivering or presenting products to another operator or to the end user.
It emphasized that classification depends on an item’s function and intended use rather than solely on whether it appears in the regulation’s indicative list of examples.
“The law defines packaging broadly as an item used by an economic operator for containing, protecting, handling, delivering or presenting products to another operator or to an end user,” the Commission said.
The guidance also clarifies who qualifies as a manufacturer under the regulation. According to the Commission, the manufacturer is not necessarily the company that physically produces the packaging material. In many cases involving sales and grouped packaging, responsibility will typically fall on the company that performs the final filling process and places the packaged product on the EU market.
The document further addresses reusable systems in the hospitality sector, including hotels, restaurants and catering businesses, as well as business-to-business distribution formats such as reusable beer kegs.
The Commission said the guidance should be read together with the regulation and related legislation and noted that both the document and accompanying frequently asked questions may be updated as practical experience and stakeholder feedback evolve.
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