News

The new EU packaging rules are creating additional bureaucracy and costs, especially for smaller businesses. Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament, is therefore calling for simpler rules and more flexibility for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

The new EU Packaging Regulation (PPWR) is facing criticism over its bureaucracy and costs. A parliamentary group in Hamburg is calling for the rules to be fundamentally revised. Its aim is to support the circular economy without making European companies less competitive.

The new EU Packaging Regulation (PPWR) creates additional hurdles for businesses, especially small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). It can make shipping to other EU countries more difficult and costly. Many associations and retailers are therefore calling for simpler, uniform and proportionate rules, as well as exemptions for SMEs.

High-voltage batteries involved in accidents present garages with new legal and financial challenges regarding storage, transport and cost allocation. A new practical guide from the BIV explains who bears the costs and how garages can organise the legally required take-back process in a legally compliant manner.

JD.com's planned takeover of Ceconomy is emerging as a key test of the EU's stance on Chinese companies and state support. As the European Commission reviews the deal, cooperation from China is becoming harder to secure.

The new Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) is raising questions in the timber trade, particularly about order picking and possible new obligations. The German Timber Trade Federation is calling for clear guidance and greater legal certainty.

The USA is introducing Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for packaging in several states. Companies will need to register, report packaging data and help fund recycling. However, fees, material categories and reporting rules are still being developed.

From 12 August 2026, new labelling rules under the EU Packaging Regulation (PPWR) apply. However, packaging already manufactured and in stock by this date does not need to be destroyed, changed or relabelled. The required information can instead be provided in accompanying documents. For packaging made after 12 August 2026, this is only allowed in certain cases.

The European Union has fined AliExpress 550 million euros for not doing enough to stop illegal and unsafe products from being sold on its platform. This record fine shows that online marketplaces must take more responsibility for product safety and better adhere to EU rules.

Europe is producing more wind and solar power than its electricity grids can handle. This causes clean energy to be wasted, low or negative electricity prices, and grid congestion. Battery storage can help by saving extra power and releasing it when demand is high. The EU is now making battery storage a key part of its energy strategy.