European Union

Through Interreg Central Europe, the European Union's funding programme for the development of the whole of Central Europe, and involving various public and private bodies, a project called D4Pack was born. D4Pack is a project that aims to create an advisory service to help agri-food SMEs evaluate the implementation of new sustainable packaging to ensure the durability of products, reduce their environmental impact and food waste.

EU lawmakers are currently striving to overhaul the bloc’s packaging rules for increased sustainability. The new Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation aims to reduce waste thanks to higher recycling and reuse targets. The controversial law, which covers multiple packaging sectors, is considered an important milestone on the road to reduced plastic waste. A bumpy road, as the European Court of Auditors’ (ECA) auditors found.

Brussels may start an infringement procedure against Italy for the incorrect application of the so-called SUP Directive (Single Use Plastics) aimed at products that cannot be placed on the markets of EU Member States. The SUP Directive applies to straws, stirrers...