The EU’s new packaging regulation took effect in Denmark on August 12, 2026, imposing new requirements on companies from day one. Business groups say the final guidance arrived only nine days earlier.
DR reports that Danish companies must from today comply with a series of demands under the regulation. The rules cover packaging design as well as limit values for heavy metals and PFAS. Name and contact address of the manufacturer or importer must also appear clearly on the packaging.
The final guidance, running to nearly 70 pages, was published on August 3, 2026. The regulation itself was adopted in December 2024, and its stated aim is to reduce packaging waste and create more uniform rules across the EU. Packaging must also be far more recyclable or reusable.
At Orkla Danmark, which develops, produces and packs food brands, managing director Simon Mosegaard Fibiger told DR the company backs the goal of reducing and recycling packaging. He described being asked to do so under complex rules in such a short time as unserious. Per Fibiger, the demands leave the company in a very difficult position as a supplier.
He used a jar of red cabbage as an example. The packaging includes glass, lid, seal, label, glue and printing inks, plus a cardboard box, film, pallet and transport labels. According to Fibiger, the company must document weight, suppliers, material type and recycled content, and take responsibility for all of it.
Industry asks authorities to hold back on fines
Fibiger estimates Orkla Danmark needs a full year to implement the requirements if it is to avoid sanctions. He said it has been hard to prepare, because the precise demands were not known until the guidance was published. Documentation requirements remain unclear, and must be worked through with suppliers.
Emil Fannikke Kiær, business and member director at Dansk Industri, said he has yet to hear from a single company that is ready. As reported by DR, the organization has asked Danish authorities not to hand out fines from the start, so Danish companies can react. He compared the process to a bureaucratic sprint blindfolded.
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Dansk Erhverv and SMVdanmark also warn of a bureaucratic burden they call unrealistic for small firms. Henrik Beha Pedersen, founder of the association Plastic Change, rejects that argument. He told DR that companies have long known the rules were coming, and that selling a product means taking responsibility for its packaging.
The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Supply said in a written comment that Energistyrelsen, which handles inspections, will exercise discretion, and that companies should have the opportunity to adapt. Climate, energy and supply minister Samira Nawa (R) was not available for comment on enforcement. DR notes that the European Commission, which interprets the rules, did not respond to its inquiry.
