Today, CCIA Europe, Ecommerce Europe, EuroCommerce, EURATEX, EUROPEN, the European Outdoor Group, and the Federation of the European Sporting Goods Industry (FESI) have published a joint statement calling on the European Commission to simplify, digitalise and harmonise EPR systems across the EU.
Considering the growing complexity of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) in the EU and its impact on the continent’s competitiveness and ability to meet its circular economy objectives, European industry representatives strongly welcome the European Commission’s commitment to an EPR digital one-stop shop and greater harmonisation, as announced in the Single Market Strategy.
EPR is a fundamental part of waste management in the EU and a key tool for the transition to a more sustainable and circular economy. It is therefore crucial to ensure the efficiency of such systems. Diverging legal frameworks and approaches to EPR across Member States, but also within Member States, across regions and product categories, have led to layers of complexity that are today heavily impacting companies operating in the EU. The fragmentation and complexity of EPR represent significant administrative costs, diverting resources away from companies’ sustainability objectives.
To tackle this growing complexity, and in accordance with the European Commission’s simplification and competitiveness agenda, we strongly welcome the commitment to a digital one-stop shop for information, registration and reporting. The objective of such OSS should be to establish a single point of entry for all mandated EPR schemes in the European Union and Member States.
Read the full statement here.