Common questions

Am I exempt from EU packaging EPR as a micro business?

Micro-enterprises are exempt from the new EU packaging rules.

No. There is no general micro exemption from EPR registration.

Do I need new packaging labels from August 2026?

The new EU packaging labels are required from 12 August 2026.

No. Harmonised EU labelling starts 12 August 2028.

I'm in Northern Ireland. Which packaging rules apply?

PPWR product rules apply. For EPR you stay in UK pEPR. NI to Republic of Ireland is a sale into the EU.

If I turn off EU countries in my shop, am I sorted?

Switching off EU shipping makes the problem go away entirely.

It stops new sales. It does not settle obligations from sales already made.

Do I have to register in every EU country I ship to?

Yes. There is no single EU-wide packaging registration.

What's the difference between PPWR, EPR and GPSR?

Three separate regimes with three separate deadlines.

What is an authorised representative, and do I need one?

Someone established in a country who takes on your EPR duties there. Needed in any member state where you are not established.

Will the 12 August 2026 date be pushed back?

Not as things stand. The main suspension track was discontinued in June 2026.

What does EU packaging EPR cost a small seller?

Recycling fees are small at micro volumes. The per-country fixed costs are what hurt.

Is there a 50 tonne threshold that exempts me?

There is a 50-tonne EU-wide threshold below which small sellers are exempt.

Only in the Netherlands. It is not an EU-wide threshold.