We are delighted to invite you to a hybrid event which will be held on Wednesday, 15th of October at 17.00.
This event will consist of an afternoon of discussion on whether the EU institutions will adopt a pragmatic approach to transport packaging. The event will also be a timely opportunity to discuss the current state of play of the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), with a focus on the implementing and delegated acts under development, with our distinguished speakers:
- Christian Zörner, Head of Office and Advisor to Andreas Glück MEP;
- Renato Zelcher, CEO, CROCCO;
- Ángel David Hernández, President, European SafeLogistics Association (EUMOS).
Benedikt Kauertz, Scientific Director and Head of Department Industry and Products, Institute for Energy and Environmental Research (IFEU) and Tristan Salmon, Senior Economist, RDC Environment will respectively give a keynote speech and participate in the panel.
Thomas De Meester, Head of EuPF will give the introductory remarks.
The discussion will be moderated by Eleonora Rinaldi, Energy and Climate Correspondent, MLex.
Due to a limited number of seats, please await final confirmation from us after registration if you wish to attend this event in person.
This event is public and will be held both onsite and online.
This event is organised in partnership with
About the debate
The EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) is a new piece of legislation designed to overhaul packaging sustainability across the European Union. Replacing the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive, the PPWR introduces stricter and more harmonised rules to reduce packaging waste, promote recycling and encourage the use of recycled materials. Entered into force at the beginning of February 2025, the legislation covers all aspects of packaging and packaging waste on the European market, including transport packaging.
A central element of the PPWR is the introduction of reuse targets, for the first time in EU packaging legislation. However, the provisions on transport packaging set in Article 29 have quickly proven to be highly challenging, leading the European Commission to commission a feasibility study.
Indeed, these provisions set radical targets, including a 100% reuse obligation for transport packaging, such as pallet wrapping and straps used by economic operators in the same Member State or within the EU for linked enterprises, and a total of 40% of specific transport packaging formats when economic operators trade within the EU. For these reasons, several observers have questioned whether Article 29(18) will be applied. This provision allows the European Commission to grant exemptions for specific sectors or packaging formats in situations where economic constraints or environmental issues prevent compliance with the targets.
In this respect, two robust and recent studies based on the latest environmental and economic data have demonstrated a clear and significant 35% to 1700% increase in CO₂ emissions when shifting from current single-use solutions to reusable alternatives, as well as a substantial €4.9 billion additional annual cost for eight essential EU industrial sectors.
Safety has also emerged as an important concern. Pallet wrapping, for example, plays an important role in securing goods during transit. However, studies suggest that some reusable alternatives have limited load-bearing capacity and, in cases involving heavy goods, reliance on such solutions could compromise transport security.
The forthcoming implementing and delegated acts will therefore be crucial in determining whether exemptions or alternative pathways will be introduced for the targets enshrined in Article 29.
This is a public event, hence the Chatham House Rule will not apply.
The event will start at 17.00 online, while the onsite welcoming will begin at 16.30 at the premises of AT60. The discussion will last around an hour and a half.
Due to a limited number of seats, please await final confirmation from us after registration if you wish to attend this event in person.
The audience will be able to ask questions both in person and through sli.do #PPWR
We look forward to hosting you on the 15th of October 2025.
