New EU packaging rules have come into force, prompting Belgian business groups to warn of higher costs, extra paperwork and continued uncertainty for companies.
The European Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation is intended to cut packaging waste and make packaging more reusable and recyclable.
The first provisions take effect from today, but many of the obligations will be introduced gradually over the coming years.
Unizo, a Flemish group representing entrepreneurs and small and medium-sized enterprises, said that thousands of businesses in Flanders that sell directly to customers in other EU countries could already face additional administration and extra costs.
"Nobody is against more sustainable packaging, but businesses are once again being saddled with extra red tape, additional costs and a tangle of national obligations," the group said in a statement, calling the new rules "another textbook example of how Europe undermines good objectives with poor regulation".
According to Unizo, the different national systems for mandatory producer registration do not strengthen the single market, but instead create a new administrative barrier and financial burden for smaller firms trading across borders.
Meanwhile, the Federation of Belgian Enterprises, known as VBO, stressed that the regulation entering into force today does not mean that all obligations apply immediately.
“Many provisions have their own transition periods, and some technical rules still need to be further elaborated through European implementing measures,” the VBO emphasised. “It is therefore more the start of a process than an end point.”
According to the federation, many companies have been working intensively over recent months and years to prepare for the new rules. “At the same time, questions remain today regarding the interpretation of certain rules, and in some cases companies are still awaiting further European guidance,” it stated.
“The willingness is there, but legal certainty and clear rules remain crucial for smooth implementation,” the VBO concluded.
