Legal provisions:

Recital (122) mentions that ‘[T]his Regulation seeks to clearly define one producer per packaging unit, whether it is for empty packaging or for packaging containing products. As a general rule, the producer should be the economic operator who, as a manufacturer, importer or distributor established in a Member State, makes available packaged products from within the territory of that Member State and on that same territory. This includes any offer for distribution, consumption or use which could result in actual supply. Thus, where a company buys a packaged product from another Member State other than that where the company is located, or from a third country, and supplies that packaged product in the Member State where it is located, that company should be considered to be the producer, as it is the first company making the packaged product available on the territory of that Member State. With regard to online platforms, the initial offering of a product should be considered as being made available in the sense of the producer definition. However, to minimise any unnecessary administrative burden for small businesses that fill transport packaging, primary production packaging or service packaging, whether as a single-use packaging or as reusable packaging, at the point of sale, the producer should be the manufacturer, distributor or importer of such packaging that makes the packaging available for the first time from within the territory of the Member State, since that economic operator is best placed to comply with the extended producer responsibility obligations.’ Article 3(1), point (15) defines ‘producer’ as ‘any manufacturer, importer or distributor to whom, irrespective of the selling technique used, including by means of distance contracts, one of the following applies: the manufacturer, importer or distributor is established in a Member State and makes available for the first time from within the territory of that Member State and on that same territory transport packaging, service packaging, or primary production packaging, whether as single-use packaging or as reusable packaging; or the manufacturer, importer or distributor is established in a Member State and makes available for the first time from within the territory of that Member State and on that same territory products packaged in packaging other than those referred to in point (a); or the manufacturer, importer or distributor is established in a Member State or in a third country and makes available for the first time on the territory of another Member State, directly to end users, transport packaging, service packaging or primary production packaging, whether as single-use packaging or as reusable packaging; or the manufacturer, importer or distributor is established in a Member State or in a third country and makes available for the first time on the territory of another Member State, directly to end users, products packaged in packaging other than those referred to in point (c); or the manufacturer, importer or distributor is established in a Member State and unpacks packaged products without being an end user, unless another person is the producer as defined in point (a), (b), (c) or (d);’

← 3. Definition of a producer of packaging · All articles · d1e554-1-1__para →

Source: EUR-Lex (Cellar) · retrieved 2026-09-07 · Text as adopted (Official Journal); later amendments are not incorporated in this text.