The industry calls for a reassessment of the EPR data

In order to ensure the fairness of the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme under the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive, the industry urges the European Commission to immediately suspend the ongoing process. The sector is calling for an urgent correction of the budget assessment, as the initial costs have been largely underestimated. At the EU level, the financial burden imposed on the cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries was estimated at €1.2 bn per year. However, analyses by the German Environment Agency and the consulting agency PwC indicate a real impact 3 to 5 times greater. The sector's contribution to the toxic load in urban waters would have been overestimated by at least a factor of 15, resulting from an incorrect allocation of several ingredients. Some are prohibited, while others are also used in the agri-food sector. A temporary suspension will enable the Commission to finalise its updated study on the costs of implementing the EPR scheme and to re-examine the actual distribution of the toxic burden among stakeholders.