European PPWR packaging rule meets industry delay demand

IMPLICA, a collective extended producer responsibility scheme in Spain, has incorporated Anticipa, a specialist environmental compliance firm, to broaden services for manufacturers handling industrial and commercial packaging waste across Spain and the EU. The partnership will centralise compliance assistance, including technical advice and management of the mandatory Declarations of Conformity (DoC) that will be required for all packaged products sold in the EU from 12 August 2026. "The environmental regulation is moving at great speed and companies need solutions that allow them to comply simply, coordinated and with full legal certainty," said Laura Sanz, director‑general of IMPLICA.

At the same time, Pro Food, together with Unionplast and more than 500 European companies and associations, has joined the “Stop the Clock” campaign urging the European Commission to postpone the PPWR’s entry into force by at least two years. They argue that essential delegated acts, harmonised methods, technical criteria and operational guidance are still missing, creating legal and operational uncertainty for firms that must prepare documentation, adjust processes and invest without clear rules. "Companies are not asking to stop the transition, but to carry it out on the basis of complete and verifiable rules," said Mauro Salini, president of Pro Food.