At the start of work on the EU Commission’s omnibus environmental package, the German Printing and Media Association (BVDM) has called for a noticeable reduction in excessive bureaucratic requirements for the printing and media industry. From the BVDM’s point of view, there is an urgent need for reform of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). Especially for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), a practical, proportionate and legally secure design of the existing environmental requirements is essential in order not to jeopardise the competitiveness and sustainability of the industry.
The BVDM welcomes the EU Commission’s initiative to revise existing environmental regulations as part of the long-announced ‘Environmental Omnibus Package’. Together with its European umbrella organisation INTERGRAF, the BVDM supports the overarching goal of strengthening the competitiveness of printing and media companies by reducing unnecessary administrative burdens.
With regard to the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), the BVDM calls for the creation of a new zero-risk category, the restriction of due diligence obligations to the first distributor, and a postponement of the start of application until the end of 2026. In the opinion of the BVDM, the current requirements are neither practicable nor proportionate.
The BVDM welcomes the European Commission’s announcement that it will withdraw the Green Claims Directive. The directive would burden SMEs with bureaucratic certification of environmental claims and slow down innovation and investment in sustainability. The proposed exemption for micro-enterprises does not remedy the situation. In addition, there is a risk of double regulation alongside the EmpCo Directive, without a robust impact assessment for the Directive having been presented. The BVDM also considers the third-party verification of sustainability labels required under the EmpCo Directive to be an excessive bureaucratic burden and proposes a revision.
With regard to the EU Packaging Regulation (PPWR), the BVDM is pushing for significantly reduced obligations. The German printing and media industry is under considerable pressure due to rising costs, digital transformation and a multitude of new regulatory requirements. Disproportionate burdens pose a particular threat to smaller businesses.
BVDM
The German Printing and Media Association (BVDM) is the umbrella organisation for the German printing industry. As an employers’ association, political trade association and technical association, it represents the positions and objectives of the printing industry vis-à-vis politicians, administrators, trade unions and the supply industry. The BVDM is supported by eight regional associations. Internationally, it is organised through its membership of Intergraf and FESPA. The printing industry currently comprises around 6,300 predominantly small and medium-sized companies with more than 99,000 employees subject to social insurance contributions.
