Companies beware! Packaging legislation in Austria is also undergoing momentous changes. At the end of December last year, the amendments to the Waste Management Act (AWG-Novelle Kreislaufwirtschaftspaket of December 10, 2021) and the Packaging Ordinance (VerpackVO Novelle 2021 of December 29, 2021) were passed. This will also result in some serious changes for German companies that export packaged goods and certain disposable plastic products such as service packaging or beverage packaging to our neighbors.

For example, from January 1, 2023, all foreign companies without exception that supply private end consumers in the sense of distance selling in accordance with the Austrian Consumer Protection Act (§ 5a KSchG), e.g., via online stores, will be required to appoint an authorized representative in Austria for their packaging. The same also applies to traditional cross-border trade in goods if German companies without a registered office in Austria wish to assume the so-called advance obligation for packaging for their Austrian customers, as has been the case to date.

Furthermore, additional reporting obligations will be introduced, especially for service packaging such as beverage cups, carrier bags, but also for products such as wet wipes, balloons or tobacco products, for which additional fees will have to be paid from 2023.