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Do the EU packaging rules apply to you?
Answer five questions and find out which rules apply to you, when they start, and what to do. Every line links to the official source.
Key dates
- 13 Dec 2024
- Product safety rules (GPSR) started. This date has passed.
- 12 Aug 2026
- EU packaging rules start, including needing a representative in each country.
- 12 Aug 2028
- New EU packaging labels required. Not 2026.
- 2030 / 2040
- Reuse targets, and more recycled content required.
Commonly wrong
Micro-enterprises are exempt from the new EU packaging rules.
No. There is no general micro exemption from EPR registration.
Why this is wrongThe new EU packaging labels are required from 12 August 2026.
No. Harmonised EU labelling starts 12 August 2028.
Why this is wrongSwitching off EU shipping makes the problem go away entirely.
It stops new sales. It does not settle obligations from sales already made.
Why this is wrongThere is a 50-tonne EU-wide threshold below which small sellers are exempt.
Only in the Netherlands. It is not an EU-wide threshold.
Why this is wrong
Northern Ireland is a different answer
PPWR product rules apply via the Windsor Framework. For EPR you stay in UK pEPR. An NI to Republic sale is a sale into the EU. The NI position
What this is
- Which rules apply to you, and when.
- A country-by-country register directory.
- A primary source on every claim.
- Dated and changelogged.
What it is not
- Legal or professional advice.
- A fee calculator — costs are attributed ranges only.
- A sales funnel for compliance services.
- A substitute for asking the register directly.
Get told when the rules change
One email when something actually changes. Not a newsletter. You’ll get a confirmation link first.
Used only for rule-change notices. Unsubscribe any time.