14: 05: 2026
Germany’s horticulture industry is calling for significant changes to proposed packaging legislation, warning that the draft law to implement the EU Packaging Regulation could impose unnecessary costs and bureaucracy on businesses.
Speaking during a hearing before the German Bundestag on May
6, 2026, Dr Hans Joachim Brinkjans, Deputy Secretary General of the Central Horticultural Association (ZVG), the proposed legislation must be simplified to avoid placing additional pressure on businesses already grappling with complex compliance demands.
The association raised particular concern over plans to extend registration, documentation and approval requirements to packaging categories that are not currently subject to mandatory participation in recycling systems, including transport packaging.
According to ZVG, effective collection and recycling systems for transport packaging are already in place. Imposing further administrative obligations, the association argues, would create additional organisational and financial strain for businesses without delivering meaningful benefits to the circular economy.
The proposed expansion of funding obligations for waste reduction and prevention measures to cover transport packaging has also drawn sharp criticism. ZVG warned that such a move would significantly increase operational costs across the supply chain and should be reconsidered.
In addition, the association rejected the blanket requirement for transport packaging to be included in declarations of completeness, describing the measure as excessive and disproportionate.
Beyond the specific provisions, ZVG voiced broader concern over what it described as the growing complexity of the EU Packaging Regulation.
Brinkjans noted that the scope of the new obligations, and the practicalities of implementation, have become increasingly difficult for businesses to interpret and apply. He stressed that the European Union’s commitment to reducing bureaucracy must now be reflected in concrete legislative adjustments.
The association has already submitted detailed proposals for reform through the EU Omnibus review process, calling for a more practical, streamlined framework that supports sustainability goals without undermining business efficiency.
For floriculture exporters and supply chain players, the debate highlights the growing regulatory pressures facing horticultural businesses across Europe, with potential implications for packaging compliance costs and logistics operations in key export markets.