Explanatory note

These Regulations amend the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations 2007 (the “2007 Regulations”), which implement Article 6 of Council Directive 94/62/EC on packaging and packaging waste.

The 2007 Regulations impose on exporters an obligation to be accredited by the appropriate Agency (either the Environment Agency or the Scottish Environment Protection Agency) before they can issue a packaging waste export recovery note, as evidence of the export of the tonnage of packaging waste specified in the note for reprocessing outside the United Kingdom. These Regulations revise the requirements for accreditation of an exporter imposed by the 2007 Regulations, to give the Environment Agency more discretion on what constitutes sound evidence that exported packaging waste will be reprocessed under conditions that are broadly equivalent to European Community requirements.

An Impact Assessment which shows the anticipated cost of compliance to businesses and the environmental benefits in respect of these Regulations may be obtained from the Producer Responsibility Unit, Zone 6D, Ergon House, Horseferry Road, London SW1P 2AL and is annexed to the Explanatory Memorandum which is available alongside the instrument on the OPSI website.