2026-06-02
The European Commission has dropped its objections to Germany’s draft Packaging Act Implementation Law, clearing a major procedural hurdle for a measure meant to align German packaging rules with the European Union’s new packaging regulation.
The move means the extended standstill period that had delayed the bill under the EU’s TRIS notification process no longer applies. As a result, Germany’s federal environment ministry now expects the law, known as VerpackDG, to be able to take effect as planned on Aug. 12, 2026, the same date the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, or PPWR, begins to apply directly across all member states.
The commission had issued a reasoned opinion in May, which pushed the standstill period to Aug. 17, 2026. That raised concern that national law might lag behind the EU regulation, creating a gap in enforcement and compliance rules for companies that make, fill, import or recycle packaging. With the latest notification, however, Brussels is no longer pursuing those objections.
The commission did not issue a formal approval of the German draft. Instead, it indicated that the concerns it had raised are no longer being pursued. Even so, the decision removes an important obstacle for Berlin and reduces uncertainty for businesses that will have to comply with new rules on packaging registration, definitions and related obligations.
Germany had defended the draft law by arguing that some of the disputed provisions were needed as national definitions or dealt with areas not fully harmonized by the PPWR. Officials also said the country still needed its own packaging register until the European registration platform becomes available. The commission’s decision suggests that argument carried weight in the later stages of review.
For companies in the packaging supply chain, including wine producers and bottlers that rely on bottles, labels and deposit systems, the timing matters because it affects planning for compliance costs and reporting duties. The removal of the standstill extension gives industry more certainty about when Germany’s domestic framework is likely to be updated to match the EU rules.
Whether VerpackDG actually enters into force on Aug. 12 now depends on the remaining steps in Germany’s legislative process.