Environmental Omnibus: EPR simplification on the table

In December 2025, the European Commission launched a set of proposals to simplify environmental rules and reduce administrative burdens, with a clear spotlight on extended producer responsibility (EPR).

The package bundles six legislative proposals plus a Communication and is now in the ordinary EU law-making process with the European Parliament and Council.

For EPR, the headline move is a proposed suspension of the obligation for EU-based producers to appoint national authorised representatives when selling into Member States where they are not established.

This would apply across all EPR-related waste streams including batteries, packaging, textiles, WEEE and single-use plastics.

The suspension would run until 1 January 2035, while the authorised representative requirement would remain for producers based outside the EU.

Member States would still need to ensure traceability and enforcement, potentially through alternative means.

Beyond EPR, the Commission presents the omnibus as part of a broader competitiveness push.

It signals that additional simplification may follow through further stress-testing of environmental legislation, including work linked to the forthcoming Circular Economy Act.