EU PPWR 2025/40 + UK packaging EPR · verified 20 July 2026

One packaging flow.
Two different answers.

Find Nactarome’s product-compliance role and the separate EPR producer responsibility across the EU and UK—without mixing up the declarations.

Understand the logic

Takes about 2 minutes · evaluates one packaging unit and one transaction at a time · answers are not stored

01

Manufacturer
Owns packaging conformity and the EU Declaration of Conformity.

02

Producer
Owns EPR registration, reporting and financing in a Member State.

03

They may differ
The answer changes by packaging unit, transaction and country.

UKUK is always included.

Great Britain follows the separate UK packaging EPR route. Northern Ireland is recorded and checked separately. UK-to-EU sales also trigger an EU importer and destination-country EPR assessment.

Role finder

Follow the packaging, not the company title.

Run a separate check for the drum, carton, pallet or stretch film when their flows differ.

One guided check. Two legally separate results.

You will receive the likely PPWR product-compliance role, the EU Declaration of Conformity owner and the destination-country EPR conclusion. The UK route is included.

The one rule to remember

“Who makes the declaration?” is not one question.

A

EU Declaration of Conformity

The PPWR manufacturer signs it and assumes responsibility for packaging conformity. For Nactarome-filled sales packaging, that will normally be Nactarome.

Articles 15, 38 and 39 · Annexes VII–VIII
B

EPR declaration and fees

The destination-country producer registers, reports packaging quantities and finances waste management. It can be a different company in each Member State.

Articles 3(15), 44 and 45

Operational guideline

What PPWR means in daily Nactarome work.

Use this as the common Group baseline. Country reporting procedures remain a separate local verification.

Start here

One packaging unit at a time

A filled drum, its outer carton, pallet and stretch film can have different manufacturers and EPR producers. Never approve “the product packaging” as one undefined block.

Use PPWR words

Sales · grouped · transport

“Primary, secondary and tertiary” may be familiar, but the regulatory record should use the PPWR function-based terminology. E-commerce packaging is a type of transport packaging.

Do not merge files

PPWR and food contact

The PPWR EU Declaration of Conformity and the food-contact Declaration of Compliance serve different laws. Keep them linked, but distinguish the responsible issuer and evidence.

UK · always in scope of this Group tool

One Group view, two legal workstreams.

Great Britain follows UK packaging EPR rather than the PPWR. Northern Ireland needs a dedicated check. When the UK entity supplies the EU, separately identify the PPWR manufacturer, the EU-established importer and the destination-country EPR producer.

Who does what

Five roles, five different consequences.

RoleOperational testMain consequenceBasis
Manufacturer

Who manufactures the packaging or packaged product—or has it designed or manufactured under its name or trademark?

Owns conformity assessment, technical documentation and the EU Declaration of Conformity.

Arts. 3(13), 15, 38–39
Supplier

Who supplies packaging or packaging material to the manufacturer?

Provides the information and documentation the manufacturer needs to demonstrate conformity.

Arts. 3(16), 16
Importer

Which EU-established legal person first places third-country packaging or packaged products on the Union market?

Verifies the manufacturer’s file, adds importer identity and retains or accesses the evidence.

Arts. 3(17), 18
Distributor

Who makes packaging available after the manufacturer or importer without changing it or using own branding?

Acts with due care and verifies identity, labelling and EPR registration before supply.

Arts. 3(18), 19
EPR producer

Who first makes the packaging available in the Member State where it is expected to become waste?

Registers, reports quantities and finances waste management in that Member State.

Arts. 3(15), 44–45

Date map

12 August is a transition point, not one giant deadline.

Now12 Aug 2026

General application

Economic-operator duties become operational. Food-contact packaging placed on the market from this date must meet the PPWR PFAS limits. General recyclability applies using the existing approach pending detailed criteria.

Next12 Feb 2028

Selected compostability rules

Specified beverage bags and soft after-use units must be compostable. Confirm the exact packaging format and any national compostability rules.

Later12 Aug 2028 or later

Harmonised sorting label

The material-composition label starts on this date or 24 months after the relevant implementing act enters into force, whichever is later. Transport packaging is generally excluded, except e-commerce packaging.

Design1 Jan 2030 or later

Major design requirements

Detailed design-for-recycling, recycled-content, minimisation, empty-space and reuse requirements begin on their respective dates, often subject to later implementing or delegated acts.

Scale1 Jan 2035 or later

Recycled at scale

The recyclability-at-scale condition applies from 2035 or the later date linked to the implementing methodology.

Minimum evidence deck

What to request and retain for August 2026.

This is a Nactarome internal readiness control. The exact evidence depth remains risk- and packaging-specific.

01

Identify the packaging

  • Supplier and PPWR manufacturer identity
  • Packaging type or family and intended use
  • Sales, grouped, transport or e-commerce classification
  • Material, components and component weights
  • Type, batch, serial or equivalent traceability
02

Obtain conformity inputs

  • Article 16 information for Articles 5–11
  • Heavy-metals and substances evidence relevant to Article 5
  • Available standards, specifications and test reports
  • Recyclability evidence under the current approach
  • Reusable-packaging evidence where a reuse claim is made
03

Add food-contact evidence

  • Separate food-contact Declaration of Compliance
  • Applicable Regulation (EC) 1935/2004 or plastics documentation
  • PFAS compliance statement against all Article 5(5) limits
  • Test method, scope and analytical basis
  • NIAS and migration evidence where applicable
04

Close the control loop

  • Who signs the PPWR EU Declaration of Conformity
  • Annex VII technical-document owner
  • Annex VIII declaration reference
  • Change-notification commitment
  • Retention: 5 years single-use or 10 years reusable
Food-contact packaging

PFAS: no stock-exhaustion grace period after placement.

Packaging placed on the market from 12 August 2026 must meet Article 5(5): 25 ppb for any targeted PFAS, 250 ppb for the sum of targeted PFAS including relevant precursors, and 50 ppm total PFAS including polymeric PFAS. Packaging placed before that date may remain on the market. Keep the analytical basis and intended-use scope clear.

EU + UK routes

The EU role is common. The UK remains separate. Both are included.

This operational map was checked on 20 July 2026. Confirm the filing route at the point of declaration because national transitions are moving.

BE

Belgium

EPRiBEL / IRPC; Valipac for industrial and commercial packaging

Official national guidance

The authority confirms a 2026 split: the former responsible company reports through 11 August; the new PPWR producer reports from 12 August. Rigid transport packaging requires special attention.

Nactarome action

Re-map every Belgian industrial flow and obtain producer registration evidence before 12 August.

Open source →
FR

France

ADEME / SYDEREP; applicable approved eco-organisation

Official national guidance

ADEME states that the route for all professional packaging is forthcoming; restaurant packaging and transitional reporting remain distinct.

Nactarome action

Confirm the live EPRO scope, approved organisation and reporting route immediately before filing.

Open source →
IT

Italy

CONAI or recognised autonomous route

PRO operational guidance

The existing CONAI system governs membership, declarations and environmental contributions while PPWR roles are overlaid.

Nactarome action

Confirm the contracting entity’s CONAI classification, imports and contribution procedure; assess PPWR product compliance separately.

Open source →
ES

Spain

MITECO Product Producers Register—packaging section

Official national guidance

Spanish product producers or authorised representatives register and report under Royal Decree 1055/2022. Reconcile the PPWR conclusion with the national record.

Nactarome action

Match the legal entity, RPP number and collective or individual responsibility system to each Spanish flow.

Open source →
NL

Netherlands

Verpact / Dutch packaging administration

Official national guidance

Manufacturers and importers can carry packaging EPR duties under the current Dutch system when the applicable conditions and thresholds are met.

Nactarome action

Validate the current threshold, reporting route and PPWR producer transition before the first post-August filing.

Open source →
HR

Croatia

FZOEU Register of Producers with Extended Responsibility (RPPO)

Official national guidance

The RPPO records producers, covered products and quantities placed on the market, including packaging obligations.

Nactarome action

Confirm the contracting legal entity’s registration, reporting cadence and packaging data fields in RPPO.

Open source →
GR

Greece

EOAN National Producers Register (EMPA) and approved system

Official national guidance

Greek packers, own-account packers, importers and qualifying distance sellers can fall within the current producer framework.

Nactarome action

Confirm the contracting legal entity’s EMPA registration and approved packaging system before supply.

Open source →
UK

UK

Great Britain: UK packaging EPR. Northern Ireland: dedicated applicability route.

Official UK guidance · separate workstream

Great Britain is outside the PPWR and follows UK packaging EPR. Northern Ireland must be checked separately; neither the GB nor EU answer should be copied automatically.

Nactarome action

Maintain UK producer assessments, registrations, data reporting and fee or recycling evidence. Record Great Britain and Northern Ireland flows separately.

Open GB source →
Open NI source →

Worked examples

How common Nactarome flows land.

These are screening outcomes. The exact contract, branding and destination facts remain decisive.

ScenarioPackagingProduct-compliance roleEPR producer
Nactarome fills a drum or bag with its product

Sales packaging

Nactarome manufacturer

Nactarome usually producer in the domestic Member State

Nactarome buys an unbranded finished pallet domestically

Transport packaging

Pallet maker normally manufacturer

Domestic pallet maker normally producer for the empty pallet

Nactarome imports finished own-brand packed goods

Sales or grouped

Nactarome manufacturer + importer

Importing Nactarome entity normally domestic producer

Nactarome buys EU-branded finished goods and resells unchanged

Sales or grouped

Nactarome distributor

First supplier in the domestic Member State is normally producer

EU entity sells directly to an industrial end user in another Member State

Any packaged product

EU-wide product role remains transaction-specific

Seller is likely producer in the destination; representative required

EU entity supplies a reseller in another Member State

Any packaged product

EU-wide product role remains transaction-specific

Destination reseller normally becomes producer there

Packaging becomes waste outside the EU

Any

Check whether prior EU making-available occurred

No PPWR EPR in a Member State for the exported waste flow

UK entity supplies within Great Britain

Any

UK product-law assessment; no PPWR for a GB-only flow

UK entity assessment under UK packaging EPR

UK entity supplies directly to an EU professional end user

Any

UK manufacturer or supplier; EU importer to identify

UK entity is normally destination producer and appoints an EPR representative

Nactarome control flow

Evidence moves once. Responsibility stays visible.

1

Describe the flow

Sales and Operations identify legal entity, packaging unit, source, destination and customer use.

2

Collect the evidence

Procurement obtains the Article 16 supplier pack and change-notification commitment.

3

Confirm the role

QA and Regulatory determine manufacturer, importer or distributor and own the conformity decision.

4

Close EPR

Sustainability and Finance confirm country registration, reporting data and fees before supply.

Group open points to close

Confirm the exact Nactarome legal-entity register and all existing EPR numbers.

Define the packaging-family method for EU Declarations of Conformity.

Confirm professional end user versus reseller in cross-border B2B contracts.

Resolve branded transport packaging and reusable asset ownership.

Keep Northern Ireland as a dedicated legal route.

Monitor implementing acts and national register transitions.

Source register

Every conclusion has a visible legal level.

Binding law

Regulation (EU) 2025/40

Economic-operator definitions, sustainability requirements, conformity and EPR.

Open source →
Official EU guidance

Commission Notice C/2026/3702

Manufacturer, producer, importer, PFAS, dates and reuse interpretations.

Open source →
Official EU guidance

Commission PPWR FAQ—30 March 2026

Implementation questions complementing the Commission Notice.

Open source →
Official national guidance

Belgian EPRiBEL / IRPC PPWR transition

Belgian role change and split 2026 declaration.

Open source →
Official national guidance

French ADEME EPRO status

Professional-packaging EPR scope and rollout status.

Open source →
Official national guidance

Spanish MITECO packaging register

Existing Spanish producer registration.

Open source →
Official national guidance

Dutch packaging rules

Existing Dutch EPR route.

Open source →
Official national guidance

Croatian RPPO

Existing Croatian register.

Open source →
Official national guidance

Greek EOAN / EMPA

Existing Greek producer register and schemes.

Open source →
Official UK guidance

UK packaging EPR

Separate Great Britain and Northern Ireland workstream.

Open source →

Printable companion

PPWR guideline or case record

Use the browser’s Save as PDF option. The code switches to clean print layouts for the full guideline, the complete logic overview or an individual role-finder result.