As reported by the European Commission, it presented a single market strategy on 21 May 2025 to create a simpler, more seamless and stronger European single market. The strategy sets out ambitious measures to remove existing barriers to trade and investment within the EU. The Single Market Strategy focuses on removing the "Terrible Ten", i.e. the ten most damaging barriers reported by businesses, including in particular fragmented rules on packaging, labelling and waste (ranked 6th) and lack of product compliance (ranked 7th). Here you will find the most important proposed actions:
Fragmented regulations on packaging, labelling and waste:
- Harmonisation of labelling requirements by sectoral legislation
- Facilitating the introduction of digital labelling solutions via the digital product passport (DPP)
- Removal of unjustified requirements for authorised representatives from the EPR systems
- Reduction in reporting obligations by limiting reporting to an annual cycle (omnibus proposal Q4/2025)
- Eliminate fragmentation caused by heterogeneous national EPR systems through further harmonisation, simplification and digitalisation (as part of the legislative proposal for a Circular Economy Act; Q4/2026)
Outdated harmonised product regulations and lack of product conformity
- Take effective action to improve product compliance by utilising synergies with EU and national customs and market surveillance authorities' capacities and the possible establishment of an EU Market Surveillance Authority (from Q3/2025)
- Modernisation of the product regulatory framework to take advantage of digitalisation, promote the circular economy and strengthen safeguards (review of the new regulatory framework – possible legislative proposal Q2/2026)
VERE e.V. will be happy to keep you informed about further developments. Would you also like to have your interests represented by a strong SME association? Then join our VERE e.V. today: Thanks to our many thousands of members, the annual membership fee is only 25.00 euros plus VAT (cancellable annually). You can find the VERE membership application form here:
