The European Parliament proposes that pots for flowers and plants should not be considered “packaging”

The European Parliament has approved an amendment to the future European Packaging Law that proposes that flower and plant pots should not be considered packaging, a step that could exclude the ornamental horticulture sector from many future obligations and costs.

The European Commission's proposal was to maintain the criterion of the 1994 standard that includes in the concept of packaging "pots intended to be used only for the sale and transport of plants and not for the plants to remain in them throughout their entire life." life". That directive, on the other hand, excluded from the packaging “pots intended for the plants to remain in them throughout their life.”

In the process of the new law, as it passes through Parliament, the proposal has received several amendments that have been included in the text and which indicate that “pots of flowers and plants, including directly refillable seedling trays, will not be packaging, used in different phases of production or intended for sale together with the plants . The amendment instead maintains as packaging “transport trays and loading packages for pots of flowers and plants intended to be used solely for sale and transportation.” However, like any norm, it must now be submitted to the European Council where the text with these amendments will be approved or not.

«If the pots are not packaging, it greatly simplifies the obligations of professionals in the sector, as well as the bureaucracy and costs of the sector. Many European organizations have pushed to achieve this step," explains to GuíaVerde , the general secretary of the European Nurserystock Association (ENA) , Josep Maria Pagès .

From Spain's perspective, it is worth remembering in this equation the factor that the country holds the presidency of the Council of Europe until the end of the year. Already in 2024, Spain will hand over the baton to Belgium. Thus, a great opportunity opens up for the Spanish sector to assert its interests in Europe if it manages to get the Spanish Ministry of Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge to add its support to the position of the European Parliament.