CONAI has prepared an information note to help companies navigate the legislation currently in force in Italy, the outlook of the new European framework, and the operational management of the forthcoming adjustments.
The new European framework on packaging labelling
With Regulation (EU) 2025/40 on packaging and packaging waste (PPWR), the European Union introduces a harmonized framework that will have a significant impact also on labelling requirements. Specifically, Article 12 of the PPWR requires the European Commission to adopt a harmonized label for packaging, aimed at facilitating proper separate collection and improving consumer information.
What are the timelines envisaged by the regulation?
The Regulation also establishes a specific timeline: the necessary implementing acts must be adopted by August 12, 2026, while the implementation obligation will generally begin on August 12, 2028, or in any case 24 months after the entry into force of the implementing acts.
The state of the European legislative process and the technical contribution of the Joint Research Centre
To date, however, the legislative process is not yet complete and we are awaiting the implementing act. The specific definition of the technical requirements for the harmonized label is still being developed under the Comitology procedure, through discussions between the European Commission and the Member States. In the meantime, Member States are required to ensure that no packaging material identification system other than that defined in Commission Decision 97/129 of 28 January 1997 is used.
This is the context in which the technical proposal published in January 2026 by the Joint Research Centre (JRC) represents an important scientific and methodological contribution, but it does not yet constitute a definitive criterion, nor does it anticipate the regulations that will be effectively adopted with implementing acts.
What has CONAI done to support companies?
It is precisely to support businesses in this phase that CONAI has prepared this information note. The document aims to provide an updated and accessible overview of ongoing developments, clarifying what is still evolving and the immediate and near-term impacts for Italian companies.
Specifically, the note aims to help businesses navigate the regulations currently in force in Italy, the prospects of the new European framework, and the operational management of upcoming adjustments. The objective is twofold: on the one hand, to offer reliable information support; on the other hand, to formulate some practical recommendations, so as to allow companies to plan in advance the activities necessary to be prepared for the future harmonized European labelling.
For further details, consult the information note.