EXPRA deeply concerned by Parliament’s endorsement of “state-run PROs” in WFD revision
Brussels, 21 September 2025 – The Extended Producer Responsibility Alliance (EXPRA) expresses its deep concern following the European Parliament’s vote on 9 September on the revised Waste Framework Directive (WFD). This concern has been shared and strongly supported by key Industry associations in EU and beyond.
In its adopted text, Parliament establishes the concept of producer responsibility organisations (PROs) with “no represented producer’s mandate” across multiple waste streams. A recital could even be understood to exempt such state-run PROs from the EU’s harmonised minimum requirements for EPR schemes, adopted in 2018 to guarantee effectiveness, transparency and accountability.
“This decision undermines 30 years of proven success in producer-led Extended Producer Responsibility,” said Joachim Quoden, Managing Director, EXPRA. “Introducing such a model would derail Europe’s transition to a Circular Economy, despite the billions of euros already invested in this effort.”
A Step Backwards for Circular Economy: For over three decades, industry-owned, not-for-profit PROs have successfully managed packaging collection, recovery and recycling across Europe. This model has increased recycling rates, reduced carbon emissions, and driven eco-innovation — while ensuring fees remain proportionate, transparent, and under producer oversight. By contracst, state-run PROs, would break the link between producer responsibility and environmental performance, risk diversion of funds into state budgets instead of recycling and undermine the minimum requirements of EPR as set out in EU law.
EXPRA notes with alarm that similar provisions were already inserted into the new EU Regulations on batteriesand packaging and packaging waste during the last legislature. Institutionalising such exemptions across waste streams will only weaken Europe’s transition to a Circular Economy.
EXPRA calls on legislators to correct this course in the forthcoming legislative proposals in the EU legislative pipeline and safeguard the principles of genuine, producer-mandated EPR.