The EU’s retailers and wholesalers want a 12-month “grace period” once the bloc’s new packaging rules start to take effect in August.

Trade association EuroCommerce, which represents retailers and wholesalers operating in the EU, argues “key technical details” of the upcoming Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) “remain unclear”.

The new PPWR rules entered into force on 11 February last year but its measures will only start applying from 12 August.

Businesses will have to comply with different measures by different dates. Some of the elements of PPWR, including recyclability performance requirements and reuse targets, will phase in through 2030.

However, in a statement timed to coincide with a meeting of EU Environment Ministers in Luxembourg today (25 June), EuroCommerce demanded a “minimum 12-month grace period”.

The move, the trade body said, would allow retailers and wholesalers to “understand and interpret new requirements, test and adapt to the new rules and address unforeseen challenges”.

As an example, EuroCommerce raised a concern over the thresholds included in the new PPWR rules for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, in packaging.

The association said the focus during a grace period “should be on guidance and support, rather than enforcement and punitive action”.

Christel Delberghe, EuroCommerce’s director general, said: “We are just weeks away from implementation, yet key questions remain unanswered. This is not sustainable. EU ministers must now provide clarity, flexibility, and a realistic transition period to avoid serious disruption across Europe’s supply chains.”