EU carbon rules / Regulations / Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive
In force Directive Industry & products
Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive
Legacy baseline for packaging recycling and prevention; to be gradually replaced by PPWR 2025/40
- Reference
- Directive 94/62/EC
- Key date
- 1994
- Applies to
- Packaging producers and Member State recycling schemes
01
Who the regulation applies to
This regulation applies to:
- Producers of packaging and packaging waste in the EU (including producers and importers of empty packaging, packaging materials and packaging components)
- Operators placing packaging and packaging waste on the EU market
- Member States (must establish schemes such as extended producer responsibility, recycling and recovery targets)
Framework legislation on packaging and packaging waste, consolidated version dated 2018-07-04; replaced by Regulation (EU) 2025/40 (PPWR) and largely repealed from 12 August 2026. The source is the site excerpt and the official EUR-Lex text.
The following provisions define its scope:
Article 1(1) — Objectives
This Directive aims to harmonize national measures concerning the management of packaging and packaging waste in order, on the one hand, to prevent any impact thereof on the environment of all Member States as well as of third countries or to reduce such impact, thus providing a high level of environmental protection, and, on the other hand, to ensure the functioning of the internal market and to avoid obstacles to trade and distortion and restriction of competition within the Community.
Article 2(1) — Scope
This Directive covers all packaging placed on the market in the Community and all packaging waste, whether it is used or released at industrial, commercial, office, shop, service, household or any other level, regardless of the material used.
02
What the regulation requires
| Duty | Trigger | Evidence | Timing |
Packaging must meet essential requirements and join a recovery system
Packaging placed on the market must meet the essential requirements on prevention, reuse and recovery and participate in recovery organised by Member States. | Placing packaging or packaged products on the EU market | Compliance technical documentation; Member State producer responsibility registration and fee payment evidence | Continuing application; PPWR 2025/40 replaces it in stages |
Meet Member State recovery targets
The Directive sets minimum recovery rates; specific fees, marking and deposit rules are set by Member States and may be stricter. | Parties responsible for producer responsibility for packaging waste | Declared quantities, recovery evidence and registration with the Member State competent authority | According to Member State statutory deadlines |
03
Key provisions
Article 1(1) — Objectives
This Directive aims to harmonize national measures concerning the management of packaging and packaging waste in order, on the one hand, to prevent any impact thereof on the environment of all Member States as well as of third countries or to reduce such impact, thus providing a high level of environmental protection, and, on the other hand, to ensure the functioning of the internal market and to avoid obstacles to trade and distortion and restriction of competition within the Community.
Article 2(1) — Scope
This Directive covers all packaging placed on the market in the Community and all packaging waste, whether it is used or released at industrial, commercial, office, shop, service, household or any other level, regardless of the material used.
Article 4(1) — Prevention
Member States shall ensure that, in addition to the measures taken in accordance with Article 9, other preventive measures are implemented in order to prevent generation of packaging waste and to minimise the environmental impact of packaging.
04
Industry dossiers covering this regulation