What is Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)? The EU's per-country register/report/pay regime, in plain English

EPR makes the company placing a product on the market financially responsible for its post-consumer stage. It runs per-country and per-stream — packaging, WEEE, batteries, textiles — with marketplace delisting now the sharpest enforcement lever. Here's what it actually is.

EU Responsible Person (EU RP): who needs one, what they actually do, and how to designate one

An EU Responsible Person is the EU-established economic operator that authorities can reach when a non-EU brand sells into the Union. Since 13 December 2024, every covered consumer product placed on the EU market must have one named on the listing, the product, or the packaging. Here is what the role does, who needs it, and what to put in place this quarter.

GPSR for Shopify sellers: the Article 19 block, the EU Responsible Person, and what changes for every EU-shipping store

Shopify is not a marketplace under GPSR Article 22 — which makes the seller, not the platform, responsible for Article 19 compliance on every listing. Here is the exact listing block, the EU Responsible Person requirement, the theme-template change, and the per-region catalogue audit every Shopify store needs to run for the EU 27.

What is a Digital Product Passport (DPP)? The EU's per-SKU data record, in plain English

The Digital Product Passport is the structured digital record the EU is rolling out under ESPR — batteries first (Feb 2027), textiles next, then most physical product categories through 2030. Here's what it actually contains, who has to issue one, and what to do this quarter.

What is GPSR? A plain-English overview

The EU General Product Safety Regulation has been enforceable since 13 December 2024. Here is what it actually changes for online sellers — the obligations, the dates, and the practical baseline.

What is REACH SVHC? The 0.1% w/w per-article threshold and Article 33 communication duty, in plain English

REACH — Regulation (EC) 1907/2006 — requires anyone supplying an article in the EU that contains a Substance of Very High Concern above 0.1% w/w per article to (a) communicate sufficient information up the B2B chain under Article 33(1), (b) respond to consumer requests within 45 days under Article 33(2), and (c) notify the ECHA SCIP database. The Candidate List is updated by ECHA roughly each January and June — every update can pull new substances into your existing products.

What is CE marking? The EU self-declaration that lets you place a product on the market

CE marking is the manufacturer's declaration that a product meets every applicable EU product directive — Toy Safety, LVD, EMC, RED, PPE or Machinery, in most ecommerce cases. It is self-declared (Module A) for non-Annex-IV products, but you must hold a technical file and a signed EU Declaration of Conformity (EN ISO/IEC 17050-1) for ten years. Amazon EU has intensified DoC requests since August 2025 and delists ASINs that cannot produce one.

What is EmpCo? The EU's anti-greenwashing law, in plain English

EmpCo — Directive (EU) 2024/825 — is the live EU law banning vague eco-claims, offset-based 'carbon neutral' product claims and unverified sustainability labels. Enforcement starts 27 September 2026. Here's what it actually does.

What is the EU Right to Repair Directive? Plain-English overview of (EU) 2024/1799

The Right to Repair Directive — (EU) 2024/1799 — forces manufacturers of regulated product categories (washing machines, dishwashers, fridges, vacuum cleaners, smartphones, tablets and the categories ESPR expands to) to repair on request, offer spare parts and tools at a non-discriminatory price, and provide an indicative repair price up front using the standardised European Repair Information Form (Annex I). Repaired products get a 12-month warranty extension. Member states must apply the directive by 31 July 2026.

What is PPWR? The EU's directly-applicable packaging law, in plain English

PPWR — Regulation (EU) 2025/40 — is the EU's new packaging law. Same text in all 27 member states. General application starts 12 August 2026, with tightening milestones through 2038. Here's what it actually does.

GPSR on Amazon EU: the Manufacturer Contact attribute, the EU Responsible Person field, and how Seller Central enforces Article 22

Amazon is the EU's largest GPSR enforcer. The Manufacturer Contact and Responsible Person attributes in Seller Central are mandatory on covered listings since 13 December 2024, and Amazon delists non-compliant ASINs automatically. Here is what each field expects, the per-marketplace differences, and the audit every Amazon EU seller needs to run this quarter.

Non-EU seller obligations: the actual EU compliance stack for brands shipping into the Union from outside

If you sell physical consumer products into the EU from outside it, six regimes attach to every order: GPSR, EU Responsible Person, EPR, PPWR, EmpCo, and (from 2027 onwards) DPP. Here is the full obligation stack, the deadlines that are already live, and the operational checklist for 2026.

Banned green claims under EmpCo: the six practices to remove from your marketing

Under Directive (EU) 2024/825, six specific marketing practices are banned outright across the EU 27 from 27 September 2026 — no balancing test, no defence. Here are the six, with concrete before/after examples.

PPWR packaging requirements: the seven checks every EU seller must pass

PPWR (Regulation (EU) 2025/40) imposes seven concrete packaging requirements that phase in between 12 August 2026 and 2038. This guide walks each check with what is enforceable now versus what to capture for upcoming milestones.

EPR registration by country: the EU 27 register/report/pay map sellers actually need

EPR is implemented per member state — LUCID, ADEME, CONAI, Verpact and 24 others. Here's how the national registers work for packaging, WEEE, batteries and textiles, what PPWR Art. 44 changes from 12 August 2026, and where non-EU sellers need an Authorised Representative.

DPP for textiles: what sellers should track now

The Digital Product Passport lands on textiles before most other categories. Here is what fashion and apparel sellers should be capturing in 2026 to be ready.

Seller responsibilities under GPSR

GPSR assigns specific duties to manufacturers, importers, distributors and fulfilment providers. This guide maps the obligations to the role you actually play — and what 'documented' means when an authority asks.

Required product information under GPSR

GPSR Article 19 lists the information online sellers must surface before checkout — manufacturer details, Responsible Person, identifiers, warnings, safe-use instructions. Here is what each field really means in practice.

EPR for online sellers: how marketplaces enforce it, and what gets your listings delisted

For e-commerce sellers, the sharpest EPR risk in 2026 isn't national fines — it's marketplace delisting under the Digital Services Act. Here's how Amazon EU, Otto, Bol.com and others enforce EPR, what pay-on-behalf actually costs, and how to pre-empt suspension.

PPWR for e-commerce sellers: the parcel, the marketplace, and what changes 12 August 2026

PPWR explicitly covers e-commerce packaging and names online marketplaces as responsible actors. From 12 August 2026, the shipping box, mailer and polybag are in scope — and listing-level enforcement is the sharpest stick. Here's the practical guide.

GPSR for Etsy sellers: handmade is not exempt, the Responsible Person field, and what changes for makers shipping into the EU

Etsy is a marketplace under GPSR Article 22, and 'handmade' carries no exemption from the General Product Safety Regulation. Since 13 December 2024, every Etsy listing shipped into the EU 27 must carry manufacturer, Responsible Person, and warnings — and Etsy delists listings missing them. Here is what an Etsy shop actually needs to do.

EmpCo for fashion and textile brands: the highest-risk sector, mapped to the six bans

Fashion is the most-scrutinised sector under EmpCo. Generic 'sustainable' collections, offset-based 'climate neutral' garments, and self-made eco-badges are squarely in the banned set. Here's the sector-specific playbook for 2026.

DPP and product traceability: the supply-chain data work the passport actually demands

The Digital Product Passport is a traceability instrument before it is a consumer-facing artefact. Here's the data chain — identifier, components, suppliers, substances, country of origin, evidence — that any DPP under ESPR or the Batteries Regulation will demand, and how to start capturing it now.

GPSR for online marketplaces

GPSR Article 22 layers product-safety duties on top of the Digital Services Act. Here is what online marketplaces must now do, and what sellers should expect from the platforms they list on.

Common GPSR mistakes online sellers make

After a year of GPSR enforcement, the same gaps appear over and over in marketplace suppressions and national-authority findings. Here are the seven most common — and what a clean fix looks like.

Ecommerce compliance readiness: the per-SKU, per-regime readiness framework for EU-shipping catalogues in 2026

EU compliance is not a single 'are we compliant?' verdict — it is a per-SKU, per-regime readiness state across GPSR, EU RP, EPR, PPWR, EmpCo and DPP. Here is the five-layer framework, the per-SKU score that drives prioritisation, and the catalogue-audit pattern that turns a regulatory backlog into a shippable engineering ticket list.

GPSR compliance checklist: every field your EU product listing needs

The General Product Safety Regulation (EU 2023/988) — GPSR — has been applicable since 13 December 2024. Every consumer product listing on an EU marketplace or ecommerce storefront must carry specific information. Missing a single field can result in listing suppression, marketplace enforcement, or regulatory action.

Amazon suspended my listing for GPSR non-compliance — how to fix it

If your Amazon EU listing has been suppressed, deactivated, or flagged for GPSR non-compliance, you are not alone. Since the General Product Safety Regulation (EU 2023/988) became applicable on 13 December 2024, Amazon has been running automated compliance checks across every EU marketplace — and enforcement has intensified throughout 2025 and 2026.

EU Responsible Person vs Authorised Representative: what is the difference and which do you need?

"EU Responsible Person" and "Authorised Representative" are two terms that non-EU sellers encounter constantly when trying to comply with EU product regulations. They sound similar, they serve related purposes, and they are easy to confuse — but they are legally distinct roles created by different regulations with different scopes.

How to find and appoint an EU Responsible Person — step by step, with costs

If you are a non-EU seller placing consumer products on the EU market, you almost certainly need an EU Responsible Person (EU RP). The requirement comes from GPSR (Regulation (EU) 2023/988), applicable since 13 December 2024. Marketplaces are actively enforcing it — Amazon, bol.com, Etsy, and others are suppressing listings that do not include EU RP details.

GPSR for TikTok Shop sellers: what is required in 2026

If you sell physical products to EU consumers through TikTok Shop, the General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR) applies to you. The regulation does not distinguish between traditional ecommerce and social commerce — any channel that makes consumer products available to EU buyers is in scope, and GPSR Article 22 places explicit obligations on online marketplaces to verify compliance.

PPWR and Amazon: what changes for FBA sellers in 2026

If you sell on Amazon EU marketplaces — Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, or Belgium — the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) now applies to you. The regulation became directly binding on 12 August 2026, and Amazon is named in the regulation as a responsible actor when it handles packaging or logistics on behalf of third-party sellers.

Packaging material data requirements under PPWR: the complete field list

The EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) — Regulation (EU) 2025/40 — requires every producer to hold documented data on every packaging format they place on the EU market. This is not optional supplementary information. From 12 August 2026, the Declaration of Conformity and technical documentation for packaging are regulatory requirements, and the data behind them must be available to authorities on request.

PFAS in food-contact packaging: the August 2026 EU restriction explained

As of 12 August 2026, the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) restricts per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances — commonly called PFAS or "forever chemicals" — in food-contact packaging. This is the most immediately enforceable requirement of the PPWR and the one that requires action from any seller whose packaging touches food.

EU green claims rules: what changes on September 27, 2026

On 27 September 2026, the Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition Directive — Directive (EU) 2024/825, known as EmpCo — becomes enforceable across all EU Member States. From that date, environmental claims made to EU consumers are subject to strict new rules. There is no transition period. Claims that were acceptable on September 26 may be unlawful on September 27.

Words you can no longer use on EU product listings after September 2026

From 27 September 2026, the EU Empowering Consumers Directive (EmpCo) — Directive (EU) 2024/825 — makes certain environmental marketing claims unlawful when used without substantiation. This is not a guideline or a best practice recommendation. It is enforceable law, transposed into the national consumer protection rules of every EU Member State.

"Eco-friendly," "sustainable," "green" — which product claims are now illegal in the EU?

"Eco-friendly." "Sustainable." "Green." These three words appear on millions of product listings across Amazon, Shopify, Etsy, and other EU-facing marketplaces. From 27 September 2026, using them without specific, verifiable evidence will be an unfair commercial practice under EU law.

EU Packaging Regulation (PPWR): what changed on August 12 and what sellers must do now

On 12 August 2026, the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation — Regulation (EU) 2025/40, known as the PPWR — became directly applicable across all 27 EU Member States. It replaced the 1994 Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive that had governed packaging rules for three decades. If you sell packaged products into the EU, the rules have changed. There is no grace period for existing stock.

5 MIN READ · UPDATED 30 AUGUST 2026 · REVIEWED BY THE REGONANCE EDITORIAL TEAM

This guide explains what the PPWR is, what actually changed on August 12, what obligations apply now versus later, and what action to take this quarter.

What the PPWR is

The PPWR is the EU's single, directly binding rulebook for how packaging is designed, documented, sold, and managed at end of life. The key structural change is legal form: the old regime was a directive, meaning each Member State transposed it into national law differently. The PPWR is a regulation, meaning it applies identically in every EU country from the day it takes effect.

For sellers, this means "EU packaging compliance" is no longer 27 separate legal problems. The design and documentation rules are now harmonised. However, registration and fees — your Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) obligations — remain national. You still register with and pay into each country's scheme individually.

The PPWR entered into force on 11 February 2025. Most obligations apply from 12 August 2026 under Article 71.

Who is in scope

The PPWR applies to any business that manufactures, imports, fills, distributes, or sells packaged products in the EU. That includes:

brands that manufacture their own products;
importers that bring packaged goods from outside the EU;
private-label sellers;
fulfilment companies handling packaged products;
online sellers using Amazon FBA, Shopify, or any other channel;
online marketplaces when they handle packaging or logistics on behalf of third-party sellers.

If you are a non-EU manufacturer whose products reach the EU in any packaging, you almost certainly carry PPWR obligations directly — both as the manufacturer (packaging design requirements and a Declaration of Conformity) and as the producer (national EPR registration and, in most cases, an EU-based Authorised Representative).

For ecommerce businesses, the scope extends beyond the product's retail box. Shipping cartons, mailing bags, protective inserts, tape, and void-fill can all be relevant.

What actually changed on August 12, 2026

Not every PPWR obligation started on August 12. Many headline requirements — recyclability grades, minimum recycled content, harmonised labelling, reuse targets — are phased in between 2027 and 2040. Here is what is binding now versus what comes later.

Binding from August 12, 2026

PFAS limits in food-contact packaging. Article 5 introduces concentration limits on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (commonly called "forever chemicals") in food-contact packaging. If any part of your packaging range touches food directly — grease-resistant wrappers, coated cardboard, certain moulded fibre trays — this requirement applies now.

Declaration of Conformity. Every packaging format placed on the EU market from 12 August 2026 must be accompanied by a Declaration of Conformity and supporting technical documentation. This is the manufacturer's declaration that the packaging meets the essential requirements of the regulation.

Heavy metal concentration limits. Packaging must respect the limit on the sum of lead, cadmium, mercury, and hexavalent chromium (100 ppm). This continues the existing Directive 94/62/EC limit but is now part of the PPWR framework.

Empty-space limits for ecommerce packaging. The PPWR caps empty space in ecommerce parcels at 40%. If you ship products in oversized boxes with excessive void-fill, this provision applies.

Authorised Representative requirement. PPWR Article 45 introduces its own EU-wide representative requirement for non-EU producers. This is separate from the GPSR EU Responsible Person and from any existing national requirements. Without an authorised representative in each relevant Member State, packaging cannot lawfully be placed on that market.

Marketplace verification. Online marketplaces are required to verify that traders using them are properly registered. Article 45(4) makes this explicit.

Coming later (not yet binding)

Requirement	Expected date
Recyclability performance grades (A/B/C)	2028
Minimum recycled content targets (plastics)	2030
Harmonised packaging labelling (material identification + sorting)	2028
Reuse targets (specific sectors)	2030–2040
Ban on certain single-use plastic formats (Annex V)	2030
Deposit-return systems harmonisation	2029

What sellers must do now

1. Audit your packaging inventory

List every packaging component you place on the EU market: retail packaging, shipping packaging, protective packaging, labels, inserts, tape. For each component, record: material, weight, supplier, whether it contacts food, and whether it contains or may contain PFAS.

2. Prepare your Declaration of Conformity

For each packaging format, you need a Declaration of Conformity stating that it meets the PPWR essential requirements. This is the manufacturer's responsibility. If you source packaging from a supplier, request their declaration or supporting documentation.

3. Check PFAS exposure

If any of your packaging contacts food, confirm with your supplier that PFAS concentrations comply with the Article 5 limits. Request a supplier declaration or test certificate. This is the most immediately enforceable obligation.

4. Review ecommerce empty-space ratios

Measure the void-fill ratio in your standard shipment configurations. If more than 40% of your parcel volume is empty, adjust your packaging sizes or reduce fill materials.

5. Confirm your EPR registrations

The PPWR harmonises EPR rules but does not centralise registration. You still need to register with each national scheme in every country where you place packaging on the market. If you are not already registered in all relevant countries, this is now non-optional.

6. Appoint an Authorised Representative where required

If you are a non-EU producer, Article 45 requires you to appoint an authorised representative in the EU. This is a per-country requirement — the harmonised registration format the Commission was expected to publish has been delayed, which means national registration processes still vary.

PPWR vs EPR: what is the difference?

This is a common point of confusion. The PPWR sets the EU-wide design and documentation rules for packaging and harmonises the framework for EPR. EPR itself — Extended Producer Responsibility — is the system by which producers register, report, and pay into national waste management schemes. The PPWR does not replace EPR registration. It harmonises the rules around it.

You need both: PPWR compliance for the packaging itself, and EPR registration for the financial obligations in each Member State.

How Regonance helps

Regonance scans your product listings and identifies packaging-related compliance gaps alongside GPSR, DPP, EmpCo, and other EU mandates. The platform surfaces missing fields — including packaging material data, EPR registration gaps, and authorised representative requirements — in one workspace, traced to the regulation that requires them.

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Educational information only. Not legal advice. The PPWR's national registration and representative requirements vary by Member State — validate scope with a qualified advisor before acting.

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Compliance guidance based on published EU regulatory texts. Not legal advice. Consult qualified counsel for your specific situation.