Due to the existence of different national labelling requirements, more than 62 European and national organizations sent a letter to the European Commission questioning an harmonized approach to labelling across the EU. In this letter they pointed out the difficulties companies face due to different regulations on packaging and its recycling, leading to high production costs and having a negative impact on the free movement of goods within the EU.

Here you can find the examples of the divergent national labelling initiatives which risk undermining the Single Market and hampering the intended sustainability goals:

France

The use of the “Green Dot” logo is penalized. However, this logo is allowed to be used in the other Member States and, to date, is even mandatory in Spain and Cyprus. Manufacturers would need to develop national-specific packaging or use stickers to cover the “Green Dot”. This implies costs and risks to hide relevant safety information. These two decrees have been temporarily suspended by the French Council of State until the judge makes a decision on their validity.

Moreover, there is an obligation to use the “Triman logo” and include sorting instructions.
Sorting instructions are not harmonized across the EU. This information could be confusing
for consumers in other Member States.

Italy

There is an obligation to use the alphanumerical codes of Decision 97/129/EC to
identify packaging materials and to include sorting instructions. Sorting instructions are not
harmonized across the EU. This information could be confusing for consumers in other
Member States.

Portugal

There would be an obligation to use the alphanumerical codes of Decision 97/129/EC and to include sorting instructions, in particular the colour of the recycling bin. It could also result in a ban on the “Tidy man” logo on recyclable packaging. These requirements could require specific packaging for the Portuguese market. In addition, sorting instructions and colour codes of bins are not harmonised across the EU. This information could be confusing for consumers in other Member States.

Slovenia

There is an obligation to use the alphanumerical codes of Decision 97/129/EC to identify packaging materials.