How to cite PPWR correctly
Short citation: Regulation (EU) 2025/40.
Full practical citation: Regulation (EU) 2025/40 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 December 2024 on packaging and packaging waste.
“PPWR 2025/40,” “EU 2025/40” and “2025/40 packaging regulation” are informal search phrases for the same act. Open the official EUR-Lex text (opens external website) for the complete title and operative wording.
What the number means
2025 is the publication-year element of the official act number. 40 is the sequential Regulation number in that publication system.
The title uses 19 December 2024 because that is the adoption date. Publication followed in January 2025, producing the citation 2025/40.
The provisions businesses use most often
| Provision | Practical subject |
|---|---|
| Article 2 | Scope |
| Article 3 | Definitions, including manufacturer, producer, importer and distributor |
| Articles 5–12 | Sustainability, compositional and labelling requirements |
| Article 14 | Environmental claims |
| Article 15 | Manufacturer obligations |
| Article 16 | Supplier information |
| Article 18 | Importer obligations |
| Article 19 | Distributor obligations |
| Article 21 | When importer or distributor can be treated as manufacturer |
| Article 38 | Conformity-assessment procedure |
| Article 39 | EU Declaration of Conformity |
| Article 44 | Producer registers |
| Article 45 | Extended producer responsibility and online-platform information |
| Annex VII | Technical Documentation |
| Annex VIII | EU Declaration model |
| Annex IX | Producer registration and reporting information |
| Articles 70–71 | Transition, repeal, entry into force and application |
The table is a route map, not a substitute for the provision. Definitions, exceptions, dates and delegated powers must be read in context.
Annex VII and Annex VIII are not interchangeable
Annex VII — Technical Documentation
The packaging description, design and production information, applied requirements, evidence and assessment that support the manufacturer’s conclusion.
Annex VIII — EU Declaration of Conformity
The manufacturer’s formal declaration after the applicable conformity assessment demonstrates conformity. The Declaration does not replace the technical file.
Use the Annex VII guide and Annex VIII guide for the different working boundaries.
Turn Regulation 2025/40 into a practical packaging pack
Start with the facts and evidence already available. The guided check maps the record to the likely route without asking you to interpret every Article first.
Start my free PPWR checkThe act number does not mean every duty started in 2025
The Regulation entered into force in 2025 and generally began applying on 12 August 2026. Particular requirements have later dates or depend on implementing or delegated acts. Check the provision-specific date rather than treating every target as a current failure.
Directive 94/62/EC was repealed from the general application date, subject to specified transitional provisions. Older supplier documents may still contain useful evidence or references; assess them and update the legal basis rather than discarding them automatically.
Use guidance in the correct order
Read the Regulation first, then adopted secondary acts, Commission guidance and FAQs, followed by national procedures. Guidance can resolve practical interpretation questions but cannot amend the Regulation.
How a business should use Regulation 2025/40
- 1. Determine the business role.
- 2. Identify each packaging type.
- 3. Determine current requirements.
- 4. Collect facts and evidence.
- 5. Prepare role-specific records.
- 6. Complete manufacturer assessment where applicable.
- 7. Draw up the Declaration only when supported.
- 8. Assess country EPR separately.
- 9. Record later requirements as planning.
- 10. Monitor official amendments and acts.
The free documentation check turns this reading order into one guided record.