The EU’s harmonised packaging labelling is delayed

As part of the EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), common rules for labelling packaging will be introduced across the EU. The aim is, among other things, to make it easier for consumers to sort packaging waste through common pictograms and labels.

The rules under Article 12 of the PPWR were originally to be adopted by 12 August 2026. The European Commission has missed that deadline, and according to its updated timetable the implementing rules are now expected to be adopted in the second quarter of 2027 instead.

The delay affects when the requirements enter into force

The delay also shifts when the new label becomes mandatory. Under the PPWR, the requirement for harmonised sorting marking applies from 12 August 2028 or 24 months after the implementing act enters into force, whichever is later. With adoption now expected in Q2 2027, the requirement is unlikely to apply before mid-2029.

In addition to sorting, the label will provide information on reusable packaging and on packaging included in deposit return systems. Harmonised labelling of recycled and bio-based content is voluntary, but companies that choose to communicate it must use the harmonised labels.

Today’s Nordic labelling will be affected

A common system of sorting symbols is already in use in the Nordic countries. When the EU’s harmonised labelling comes into force, the current system will need to be adapted to the common European rules, and member states will not be able to retain additional national sorting instructions alongside the EU labels, except for deposit and return schemes.

The European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) has produced a proposal for how the new system can be designed. The proposal is largely based on the Nordic system, but there are differences in areas such as colours, design and labelling of packaging consisting of several materials. The JRC submitted its final proposal to the Commission in January, and it is this proposal the Commission is working from.

For producers, the delay means continued uncertainty about exactly how the labelling should be designed. It is therefore important to follow developments, not least in view of future changes to packaging design and print artwork. The current labelling system will be used until the requirement for harmonised labelling enters into force, and NPA recommends that affiliated producers continue using the Nordic symbols until the Commission has adopted the new labelling.

Note that the obligations that apply from 12 August 2026 are already in force: packaging must carry a type, batch or serial number and contact information, and may not be labelled with symbols that risk misleading consumers about sustainability. Packaging produced or imported before the harmonised labelling deadline may be sold for up to three years.

NPA is following the development of the PPWR and will return with information when the rules for harmonised labelling have been decided.