The Council of the European Union has agreed a negotiating position that could reduce packaging compliance paperwork for small businesses selling packaged goods into other EU countries.

Announced on 21 October 2026, the proposal concerns extended producer responsibility requirements under the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, commonly known as the PPWR.

Under the Council’s position, an EU-based producer placing less than one tonne of packaging on another member state’s market in a calendar year could be exempt from appointing an authorised representative in that country.

The proposal targets a cross-border administrative obligation rather than removing producers’ wider responsibilities to meet packaging and waste rules. It has not become law, and negotiations with the European Parliament are still required.

For food manufacturers, specialist FMCG suppliers and smaller private-label producers, appointing representatives in multiple countries can add administrative costs even when shipment volumes are limited. The exemption could make limited cross-border sales easier to manage.

The one-tonne threshold would be assessed for packaging placed on the market of another individual member state in a calendar year under the Council proposal. Businesses should not assume that all exports or every compliance obligation would fall outside the rules.

The negotiating mandate includes a safeguard where a producer breaches extended producer responsibility requirements. It also asks the European Commission to review the duration of the suspension by the end of 2030, ahead of its proposed expiry in 2032.

In grocery supply chains, packaging compliance affects both brand owners and producers supplying supermarkets. Packaging specifications, waste management arrangements and national reporting processes remain important for market access.

The issue also has consequences for packaging converters. GTN’s comparison of packaging companies in Finland highlights the supplier landscape, while its guide to packaging companies in Lithuania examines businesses operating within European packaging supply chains.

The measure is part of the EU’s broader Omnibus VIII simplification initiative. The Council said it is ready to negotiate with the European Parliament to agree a final text.

Until that process is completed, businesses should continue to follow the applicable packaging requirements in each market. The eventual wording will determine which producers can use any exemption and when it starts.