The EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) will officially take effect on August 12. Cross-border companies are entering the final critical phase of EPR compliance preparation.

A flood of EPR registration applications has been submitted by sellers recently. Combined with Europe’s summer holiday season, overloaded official review systems and ongoing national policy adjustments, the waiting period for EPR registration approval has been significantly extended across EU member states. Several countries have slowed down or temporarily restricted registration channels for non-EU enterprises, bringing huge challenges to Chinese exporters.

Although PPWR applies EU-wide, implementation standards and processing timelines vary greatly in different countries:✅ Germany: Managed via the mature LUCID system. Approvals can be issued within 1–3 working days if documents are complete.⚠️ France: Longer registration workflow. New applications now take 3–6 weeks to obtain registration numbers, and reviews slow down further during summer vacation.⚠️ Spain: The strictest registration threshold. An authentic Spanish VAT number, Hague Apostille and other pre-requisites are mandatory. The whole procedure now lasts 4–5 months. Companies that haven’t started registration are unlikely to finish before the enforcement date.⚠️ Italy: The national EPR registry system is under upgrade. Amazon Pay-on-Behalf service is unavailable, and new applications are processed much slower than usual.⚠️ Poland: Dual-track compliance rules apply. Overseas enterprises receive lower priority during review. Over 15,000 applications are pending with extremely long waiting times.⚠️ Belgium: Official systems are overloaded. Non-EU sellers must appoint an authorized local representative, making the approval process extremely congested.⚠️ Netherlands: Ongoing policy revision. Newly submitted applications are suspended with no confirmed resumption date.⚠️ Ireland: Severe application backlog. Authorities are still processing applications submitted as early as April.⚠️ Sweden: Summer office closure from July 13 to August 17. No new applications will be accepted during this period.

Fastsun Eastsun (Ningbo Eastsun Paper Products Co., Ltd.) reminds all cross-border partners:PPWR compliance is a mandatory market access rule for EU sales. Without valid Packaging EPR registration numbers by the deadline, sellers risk product delisting from platforms, cargo detention at ports and substantial fines.

Compliance Guidance from Fastsun Eastsun

1. Prioritize key sales marketsLaunch EPR registration first for your main markets such as Germany and France. Prepare pre-required documents immediately for Spain, Poland, Ireland and other countries with lengthy lead times.

2. Double-check all registration documentsIncomplete or incorrect information will cause application rejection. Resubmission during summer holidays will cost you several extra weeks.

3. Maintain communication with e-commerce platformsKeep all official application receipts. Negotiate actively with platforms to obtain reasonable compliance grace periods.

4. Upgrade your packaging solutions in advanceBesides EPR registration, optimize your paper packaging materials & structure to meet PPWR sustainability requirements for circular economy.

With rich experience in paper product exports to Europe, Fastsun Eastsun continuously monitors updates of PPWR and national EPR legislations. We provide one-stop solutions including EU compliance consultation and eco-friendly paper packaging customization.

We design paper packaging fully aligned with EU sustainable standards, supporting overseas partners to smoothly overcome PPWR compliance barriers and secure stable business growth in European markets.

Contact the Eastsun business team for customized compliant packaging solutions!