Subject matter and scope of this Commission guidance document

Regulation (EU) 2025/40 on packaging and packaging waste (1) (hereafter: PPWR) entered into force on 11 February 2025 and will apply from 12 August 2026. Following its adoption, and in the context of the Commission’s environmental omnibus package and broader simplification efforts, the Commission has received a significant number of questions from stakeholders, including Member States’ authorities, regarding the interpretation of certain provisions of the PPWR. To support the effective and timely implementation by economic operators and Member States, the Commission has used its best efforts to respond to the questions raised and to provide clarity and legal certainty as quickly as possible. To this end, the Commission is issuing this guidance document to interpret selected provisions of the PPWR, with the aim of facilitating a uniform application of the Regulation across the Union. This guidance is complemented by a set of frequently asked questions (FAQs) developed as part of the Commission’s ongoing dialogue with stakeholders. This guidance document is based on the settled case-law of the Court of Justice of the European Union concerning the interpretation of EU law, according to which interpretation requires consideration not only of the wording of a provision, but also its context and the objectives pursued by the legal act of which it forms part (2). This guidance document does not replace, add to, or amend the provisions of the PPWR, which alone establish the applicable legal obligations. It should not be considered in isolation but must be read in conjunction with the relevant legislation and does not constitute a stand-alone reference. Considering further stakeholder input and practical experience gained with the application of the rules, this guidance document and the accompanying FAQs may be updated as necessary. However, the binding interpretation of EU legislation remains the exclusive competence of the Court of Justice of the European Union. Further details will be proposed via several implementing measures, such as implementing acts, delegated acts, standardisation requests and guidelines, to be proposed by the Commission in the coming 2-3 years. It should be noted, in this context, that the Commission does not intend to prioritise the implementing act establishing a methodology for identifying material composition of packaging by digital labelling. Table of Contents

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Source: EUR-Lex (Cellar) · retrieved 2026-09-07 · Text as adopted (Official Journal); later amendments are not incorporated in this text.