In force since 12 August 2026
When a business counts as a producer, and in which country
Producer is the word the rules use for whoever first puts packaging onto a country's market. It is worked out country by country, so one business can be a producer in several countries at once. There are five ways to become one. Two cover selling packaged goods at home. Two cover sending packaged goods straight to customers in another EU country. The fifth catches a business that unpacks goods without being the one who uses them, unless somebody earlier in the chain already counts as the producer.
Situations where this one comes up
A business puts its own name or logo on the packaging it sends out, and posts orders to customers in more than one EU country. It is not a very small business by the size test, or it is but buys its packaging from abroad.
A business with fewer than ten people puts its own logo on its packaging, buys that packaging from a supplier in the same country, and sells only to customers at home.
A business registered outside the EU sends packaged goods directly to people in EU countries, rather than selling to a distributor who resells them.
A business sends orders in plain boxes with nothing of its own printed on them, and sells only to customers in the country it is based in.
A business receives stock wrapped on pallets or in outer cartons, strips that packaging off and bins it, then sells the goods on. Its own packaging is plain and it sells only at home.
Work out whether this one is likely to matter for you · See what starts when