OpenLobby.EU
Explore

European Paper Packaging Alliance

EPPA

The European Paper Packaging Alliance advocates for increasing recycling and reducing carbon emissions of food packaging while maintaining food safety standards.

Lobbying Activity

Meeting with Stefano Soro (Head of Unit Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs) and Huhtamäki Oyj and Seda International Packaging Group

27 Jan 2026 · Fragmentation of the Single Market and enforcement challenges.

Meeting with Christian Doleschal (Member of the European Parliament)

17 Dec 2025 · Kreislaufwirtschaft

Meeting with Zala Tomašič (Member of the European Parliament)

16 Dec 2025 · Environmental omnibus

Meeting with Angelika Niebler (Member of the European Parliament)

12 Nov 2025 · EU Circular Economy

Meeting with Yannis Maniatis (Member of the European Parliament)

23 Oct 2025 · Introductory Meeting

Meeting with András Gyürk (Member of the European Parliament)

22 Oct 2025 · Paper and packaging industry

Meeting with Eero Heinäluoma (Member of the European Parliament)

22 Oct 2025 · Single market for the packaging sector

Meeting with Ana Vasconcelos (Member of the European Parliament)

21 Oct 2025 · Circular Economy Act

Meeting with Flavio Tosi (Member of the European Parliament) and Seda International Packaging Group

20 Oct 2025 · Environment Omnibus

Meeting with Barbara Bonvissuto (Director Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs)

3 Jun 2025 · Exchange of views on the collection and recycling of paper used for packaging.

Meeting with Aurel Ciobanu-Dordea (Director Environment) and FoodDrinkEurope and

22 May 2025 · Discuss with interested stakeholders the practical aspects and challenges of ensuring compliance with Art.5(5) of the PPWR (concerning PFAS limits in food-contact packaging)

Meeting with Aurel Ciobanu-Dordea (Director Environment)

9 Apr 2025 · Exchange of views on the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation

Meeting with Sandra Gallina (Director-General Health and Food Safety) and

18 Feb 2025 · Reuse obligations under the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) and Food contact materials (FCMs) legislation

Meeting with Nils Torvalds (Member of the European Parliament, Shadow rapporteur for opinion) and Huhtamäki Oyj

15 Jan 2024 · PPWR

Meeting with Miriam Garcia Ferrer (Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis)

9 Jan 2024 · Agriculture; Trade policy.

Meeting with Deirdre Clune (Member of the European Parliament)

13 Dec 2023 · Pharmaceutical Package

Meeting with Elsi Katainen (Member of the European Parliament, Shadow rapporteur for opinion)

10 Nov 2023 · Packaging and packaging waste

Meeting with Nils Torvalds (Member of the European Parliament, Shadow rapporteur for opinion)

9 Nov 2023 · PPWR

Meeting with Dan Nica (Member of the European Parliament)

4 Oct 2023 · EU legislation on Packaging and Packaging Waste

Meeting with Eero Heinäluoma (Member of the European Parliament) and Huhtamäki Oyj

13 Sept 2023 · pakkaus- ja pakkausjäteasetus

Meeting with Isabel Carvalhais (Member of the European Parliament)

26 Jun 2023 · Regulamento de Embalagens e Resíduos de Embalagens

Meeting with Dan Nica (Member of the European Parliament)

9 May 2023 · EU legislation on Packaging and Packaging Waste

Response to Review of the requirements for packaging and feasibility of measures to prevent packaging waste

24 Apr 2023

EPPA would like to highlight that: The current PPWR proposal on reuse targets is not achieving the best environmental, economic, and hygiene outcomes. To achieve the Green Deal objectives, the PPWR must be refined to include single-use paper packaging as a central pillar to achieve the EUs circular economy goals. Disposable paper packaging is a renewable and recyclable solution to food packaging. Based on certified LCA studies, it delivers the best environmental outcome compared to multiple-use. Disposable paper packaging can prevent the spread of food-borne illnesses by protecting the food in the packaging from external contamination and cross-contamination within the circular reuse systems. Banning single-use paper packaging will economically harm the whole paper suppliers value chain and consumers and distort the competition between eating and drinking establishments. Policy choices should be based on a sound scientific evaluation and encourage packaging solutions with the best environmental performance, in line with paragraph 2 of article 4 of the Waste Framework Directive (2008/98/EC), according to which operators can depart from the waste hierarchy when this is justified by life cycle thinking. EPPA therefor asks for: Article 22 and Annex V Restrictions of the packaging must be assessed to ensure that they deliver the best overall environmental outcome and take into account human health and economic impacts in accordance with Articles 1, 4, and 13 of the Waste Directive 2008/98/EC and allow for exemptions where this is justified by life cycle thinking. In any event, they should not be disproportionate or discriminatory. Furthermore, under Article 22, the European Commission is empowered to amend, through Delegated Acts, the list of packaging formats that should not be placed on the market. A proper impact assessment should accompany any potential decision to restrict further products from the market, and any such decision should be made through primary and not secondary legislation. Article 26 paragraphs 2 and 3 Reuse target by 2040 should be lower to be realistic both for instore and takeaway. Also, in accordance with Article 4 §2 of Directive 2008/98/EC, this obligation shall not apply to the final distributor that opts for single-use packaging delivering a better overall environmental outcome justified by life-cycle thinking, as well as a better overall economic and human health impact. Moreover, re-use targets should be based on a lifecycle impact assessment of the specific application. Article 43 (linked to articles 22 and 26) We propose that a final distributor making available on the market food and beverages filled and consumed within the premises of the HORECA sector shall ensure that separate collection systems are set up for the different fractions of packaging waste materials, to help the consumer sort packaging waste by 2028. And that, Member states shall ensure that separate collection systems are set up for the different fractions of packaging waste materials used in sales packaging in the market of food and beverages filled and consumed for take-away to help the consumer sort packaging waste by 2028. Article 3, paragraph 19 EU Member States have different definitions for the various packaging material classifications, leading to a fragmented understanding of what composite packaging is across the EU. When a very strict definition of <95% of a single-component material is applied to define composite packaging, this favours plastic packaging over paper-based packaging. We, therefore, recommend clarifying that a packaging unit is considered composite packaging when a non-primary material exceeds 10% of the total mass of the packaging unit.
Read full response

Meeting with Delara Burkhardt (Member of the European Parliament, Shadow rapporteur) and EuroCommerce and

28 Mar 2023 · Packaging Waste

Meeting with Virginie Joron (Member of the European Parliament, Rapporteur for opinion)

22 Mar 2023 · alliance européenne des emballages en papier

Meeting with Clara Aguilera (Member of the European Parliament)

14 Mar 2023 · Packaging Regulation

Meeting with Jessica Polfjärd (Member of the European Parliament)

8 Mar 2023 · Circular Economy, Packaging and Packaging Waste

Meeting with Silvia Modig (Member of the European Parliament)

28 Feb 2023 · European Commission Proposal for the Revision of the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive

Meeting with Miapetra Kumpula-Natri (Member of the European Parliament)

24 Jan 2023 · Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive

Meeting with Peter Van Kemseke (Cabinet of President Ursula von der Leyen) and Huhtamäki Oyj and Seda International Packaging Group

23 Nov 2022 · EU Packaging and Waste Packaging Legislation: upcoming revision.

Meeting with Jorge Pinto Antunes (Cabinet of Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski)

23 Nov 2022 · circular economy package and PPWR

Meeting with Ralf Kuhne (Cabinet of Commissioner Stella Kyriakides)

17 Nov 2022 · VTC meeting on food packaging

Meeting with Helena Braun (Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Frans Timmermans) and Metsäliitto Cooperative and

19 Oct 2022 · Circular economy and the revision of the EU packaging rules

Meeting with Caroline Boeshertz (Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis) and APCO Worldwide

14 Sept 2022 · PPWD

Response to Early Warning Report on Waste

1 Aug 2022

The European Paper Packaging Alliance (EPPA) is a not-for-profit association representing food and food service packaging companies from across Europe. EPPA’s priority is to provide paper-based low carbon and health-safe products with a low environmental impact and improved recycling solutions to the European population. EPPA supports science-based EU policies that foster sustainable and efficient use of resources, and recognises the major role that packaging, as an essential infrastructure, can play in that common objective. We are pleased to contribute to the European Commissions “Call For Evidence” on Waste Management in support of providing evidence on products directly related to our industry. Please find our contribution in the attached file.
Read full response

Meeting with Alex Agius Saliba (Member of the European Parliament)

6 Jul 2022 · Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive

Meeting with Jorge Pinto Antunes (Cabinet of Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski) and Confederation of European Paper Industries and

30 May 2022 · Meeting with Fibre Packaging Europe

Meeting with Sara Cerdas (Member of the European Parliament)

26 Apr 2022 · Reciclagem de papel

Meeting with Helena Braun (Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Frans Timmermans) and APCO Worldwide and

3 Mar 2022 · EU circular economy implementation

Meeting with Andrea Vettori (Cabinet of Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius), Rozalina Petrova (Cabinet of Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius) and

3 Mar 2022 · EU circular economy implementation

Response to Waste Framework review to reduce waste and the environmental impact of waste management

22 Feb 2022

The European Paper Packaging Alliance (EPPA) supports the EU Green Deal and welcomes the upcoming revision of the Waste Framework Directive. We endorse the Commission’s commitment to optimising waste management systems, ensuring high-quality recycling and cleaner secondary raw materials, and halving the amount of residual (non-recycled) municipal waste by 2030. EPPA would like to comment on the Commission’s call for evidence and recommends that policymakers take the following considerations into account: 1. Waste hierarchy: reuse and recycling should be prioritised according to life cycle assessment measures We support measures supporting waste prevention according to the best environmental outcome. Turning waste into resources for a circular economy is key to prevent waste and can be achieved through recycling and reuse which are equally important. Thus, the Commission should avoid imposing horizontal and / or bottom-up targets and adopt a case-by-case approach taking into consideration the current recycling and environmental performance of each material stream. According to Art. 4.2 of the Waste Framework Directive, the priority order of the waste hierarchy is subject to a higher goal set to all Member States, which “shall take measures to encourage the options that deliver the best environmental outcome.” This “may require specific waste streams departing from the hierarchy where this is justified by life-cycle thinking.” The findings of Ramboll’s Life Cycle Assessment indeed demonstrate that making reusable packaging mandatory in quick service restaurants would produce 2.8 times more CO2, consume 3.4 times more water, 3.4 times more fossil resources, 3.3 times more metal, emit 2.2 times more fine particles, 1.6 times more ionizing radiation and contribute 1.7 times more to earth's acidification than single-use paperboard tableware. 2. Introduce measures to support the convergence of collection systems We support the intention to improve the separate collection of waste by clarifying and/or restricting the scope of derogations provided for in Article 10(3) of the WFD. Barriers to greater paper and board recycling include divergence in what is collected for recycling, as well as lack of collection bins, especially for collection outside of households (i.e. instore collection). Separate collection of paper and board ensures that fibres are fed back into the paper recycling loop and it enhances the quality of fibres by avoiding soiling of material, from source to sorting line. 3. EPR systems should focus on investment and covering the costs for the collection, sorting, and recycling Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) systems can help increase the recyclability of packaging, which will significantly contribute to creating a valuable stream of secondary raw materials. EPR systems should focus on the main objective: ensuring that the costs of collection, sorting and recycling are covered in case they are not covered by the value of the secondary raw material obtained (net-cost principle). This way, packaging recyclability can be improved, as recyclability is a pre-condition for obtaining a valuable secondary raw material after collection and sorting. Use of EPR funds to invest in upgraded collection and recycling infrastructure, while ensuring that such funds are allocated on a per material bases (paper-to-paper, plastic-to-plastic). In all cases, our associations support the increase in the efficiency of collection (especially outside the household and industrial sectors), the modernization of sorting centres (via the use of AI and the sorting of small packaging formats) and that of infrastructures in order to improve performance and recycling volumes. 4. Paper recycling is high-quality recycling We support the optimisation of recycling processes to achieve higher recycling rates. When drafting a definition of high-quality recycling, it is important that the Commission accounts for the existing high-quality
Read full response

Meeting with Cyrus Engerer (Member of the European Parliament, Shadow rapporteur)

20 Jan 2022 · Waste Shipment Regulation

Meeting with Alina-Stefania Ujupan (Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager) and Confederation of European Paper Industries and

11 Jan 2022 · Sustainable Products Initiative

Response to Food waste reduction targets

25 Oct 2021

Please see attached.
Read full response

Meeting with Kerstin Jorna (Director-General Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs)

13 Oct 2021 · Discuss Sustainability of paper packaging

Meeting with Helena Braun (Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Frans Timmermans) and Confederation of European Paper Industries

28 Oct 2020 · circular economy and single-use products

Meeting with Rozalina Petrova (Cabinet of Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius)

12 Oct 2020 · the European Green Deal; the SUP directive.