Glossary

EU declaration of conformity

Also called: declaration of conformity · DoC

What it means in practice

It is drawn up per packaging type rather than per order, kept alongside the technical paperwork, and shown to an authority on request. Nobody issues or stamps it — the manufacturer writes and signs it.

The rules that give it meaning

• The declaration of conformity, and who has to write one

  Applies now

  Anyone counting as the manufacturer of packaging writes a short document saying the packaging meets the design rules. It is called an EU declaration of conformity. The rules fix what goes in it and set out a model to follow. It has to be kept up to date, and written in a language the country where the packaging is sold asks for. Signing it means taking responsibility for what it says.

  Source: Regulation (EU) 2025/40, Art. 39 — read from this source on 12 August 2026

• Checking packaging against the design rules

  Applies now

  Before the declaration can be written, the packaging has to be checked against the design rules. The rules set out the procedure to follow for that check. Somebody else can carry out the check, such as a laboratory, but the business named as manufacturer still carries the responsibility.

  Source: Regulation (EU) 2025/40, Art. 38 — read from this source on 12 August 2026

Work out which rules apply to you · The other words