On October 28, 2026, the European Commission officially published Regulation (EU) 2026/2376 in the Official Journal, amending Regulation (EU) 2022/1616. This amendment covers various aspects regarding recycled plastic materials and articles intended to come into contact with food, including registration management, compliance documentation, testing methods, and documentation for free circulation.
Key Amendments
1. Enhancement of the EU Registration Management System
An electronic registration system has been established, clarifying the registration processes and management requirements for recycling facilities, recycled plastics, and recycled plastic materials and articles. It introduces detailed classified management for decontamination facilities based on their status, such as new registration, operational, active, suspended, or withdrawn.
2. Refinement of the Compliance Declaration System
- Introduction of Declaration P (Pre-treatment Compliance Declaration): Applicable to recyclers receiving partially pre-treated plastic inputs and plastic inputs.
- Introduction of Declaration C (Simplified Compliance Declaration): Applicable when the composition of recycled plastic does not change during the final production stage, eliminating the need to assign a new batch number.
- It is clarified that operators at all stages of the supply chain (excluding the retail stage) must provide a compliance declaration.
3. Customs Release Controls
Recycled plastics imported into the EU are required to submit a compliance declaration to customs upon release for free circulation. Commodity codes have also been introduced (applicable only to cutlery/kitchenware and PET materials, excluding food, electrical appliances, and food processing equipment).
4. Specifications for Pre-processed Plastic Inputs
Detailed technical specifications for pre-treated plastic inputs have been formulated, including maximum limits and methods for verifying compliance (referencing ISO 12418-2:2012).
5. Transitional Arrangements
- Products requiring Declaration A or B that were compliant before the regulation entered into force may continue to be placed on the market until February 18, 2027.
- Products requiring Declaration C or P that were compliant before the regulation entered into force may continue to be placed on the market without a declaration until May 18, 2027.
The regulation enters into force on the twentieth day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union and is directly applicable in all Member States.
