eBay is Asking Sellers for Help To Amend EU Rules on Packaging Waste

The European Commission is currently accepting feedback on its proposal to review the EU rules on Packaging and Packaging Waste until 24 April 2023 and eBay is asking sellers to make their voices heard.

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This issue may not just affect eBay sellers in the EU, but also sellers around the globe selling to customers into the European Union. Unfortunately, non-EU sellers can only watch as this plays out and how it may impact their business as well.

The EU is requesting feedback from small businesses in member states that it will take into consideration during negotiations between the European Commission, Parliament, and Council of the Member States, as they work towards agreeing on a new regulation aimed at reducing packaging waste in the EU.

The current EU Waste Legislation has implemented the “extended producer responsibility” framework, commonly referred to as EPR, that obliges Member States to take actions to avoid waste generation following the “polluter pays principle.”

However, this legislation doesn’t specifically address ecommerce, which has resulted in various European nations like Germany and France implementing independent initiatives to tackle the contribution of online vendors to their national EPR system.

Under the EPR framework, every online seller is required to enroll with an EPR scheme, report the quantity of goods placed on the market, and pay end-of-life fees for their products in every EU country where they have sold even one item in the preceding year.

But the absence of uniformity and the complicated procedures involved in EPR registration and reporting have prevented several small sellers from trading their products in those markets.

eBay Believes in Simple and Harmonized EPR Framework

“eBay strongly believes that the EU Commission initiative to revise the waste management rules is an outstanding opportunity to simplify and harmonize the EPR framework by creating mutual recognition systems for EPR reporting and compliance throughout the EU,” the company said in a statement.

“In this manner, all players involved, from small online sellers to marketplaces like eBay, may do their part in reaching the EU´s ambitious goals for waste reduction.”

eBay is encouraging its European seller community to click here and participate in the official consultation concerning the proposed Regulation on Packaging and Packaging Waste in the EU.

This will aid policymakers in comprehending the significant challenges faced by online sellers regarding Packaging EPR while marketing their products in the EU Single Market.