New packaging regulation from August 2026
Summary: audiotubes_de criticizes the EU regulations on packaging registration, which create high costs for small business owners because they have to register in multiple countries. sw_do agrees, as the bureaucratic requirements could make international business unprofitable, which could also have an impact on platforms like eBay. byte.light plans to focus on countries with low costs, while marks-marktplatz points to an EU Commission page where concerns can be raised. The discussion condemns the complicated rules and calls for less red tape.
Typical example of EU madness.
I’m supposed to register in half of the EU countries regarding packaging.
Some countries have a de minimis rule, others require licensing from the very first package.
If I use Lizenzero, it costs me about €2400 per year. And that as a small business owner. Who knows what else will come after that.
This is another strategy by the EU monsters, pushing the little guys out and leaving everything to the big ones.
Better out of the EU.
Long live bureaucracy reduction
marks-marktplatz
·1 month agoHello,
there is a feedback page from the EU Commission on this topic, where you can share your concerns and wishes. More than 5,000 entries have already been submitted. Please take part as well
Here is the link:
https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/15352-Verpackungen-und-Verpackungsabfalle-Vorschriften-uber-nationale-Herstellerregister_de
byte.light
·2 months ago · EditedHello audiotubes_de
Yes. I totally agree with you. What the EU is trying to implement to “standardize” the packaging regulations within the “EU” is not friendly to small businesses.
As of today, the rules are different in every country and in some cases have to be applied for in the local language, at different costs.
The service providers are far too expensive for small sales, as you wrote.
I’ve now decided to focus on the countries that offer the right sales volume and have lower registration hurdles and costs.
For me, that’s the Netherlands and Italy, which I now want to register for myself directly, without a service provider.
Still, just more unnecessary extra costs.
Regards@all
sw_do
·3 months ago · EditedCorrect. Because we maybe ship 10-20 parcels a year to neighboring European countries, we’re supposed to register for that in every single country now.
That absolutely doesn’t pay off, especially since we don’t even know beforehand when and whether someone will sell something to some other country.
This EU bureaucracy is just getting on my nerves, really.
So it’s going to come down to us no longer selling internationally.
Well then Ebay will earn less too, and we’ll pay less tax as well.
Nice job, Brussels!...
Update, on 04/08/2026:
So, like it or not, I’ve now revised all articles and removed international shipping.
Then we’ll just sell less. The state gets less tax and Ebay gets fewer fees too. If that’s what you want...
That said, from our annual sales maybe 3-5% went abroad. So it’s not really a disaster. It just doesn’t make sense to sign up for all those European countries’ ridiculous EU packaging regulations when you’re only shipping 5 parcels to some country.
Still, this is yet another great example of the EU’s wonderful bureaucracy.
The little guy gets hounded and the big guys make the money.
Can’t wait to see what the Brussels experts come up with next...