Simplifying Extended Producer Responsibility

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is a key pillar of the EU’s circular economy agenda, making producers responsible for the collection and recycling of packaging. While its purpose is widely supported, uneven implementation across Member States has made compliance complex and costly — especially for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Why

Fragmented EPR systems impose unnecessary administrative burdens and distort competition across the Single Market. Based on interviews with businesses across Europe, this study sheds light on the everyday challenges of ensuring EPR compliance and highlights opportunities to make EU EPR systems simpler, fairer, and more effective.

What

Businesses consistently call for greater harmonisation, clearer guidance, and smarter digital tools. They emphasise the need for consistent rules across Member States, streamlined reporting requirements, and transparent processes that reduce costs while supporting sustainable packaging design.

How

This report proposes and supports the creation of a digital EPR one-stop-shop – a single EU-wide platform for registration, reporting, and data management. Such a system would streamline compliance, improve oversight, and strengthen the Single Market by making EPR systems both smarter and simpler.