G/TBT/N/ESP/46  
1 June 2022 
(22-4190) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original:  Spanish  
 
  
NOTIFICATION  
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6.  
 
1. Notifying Member : SPAIN 
If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):  
2. Agency responsible : Ministerio  para la Transición Ecológica y el Reto Demográfico  
(Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge)  
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers, email and website 
addresses, if available) of agency or authority designated to handle  comments 
regarding the notification shall be indicated if different from above:  
Subdirección General de Economía Circular (General Subdirectorate for the Circular 
Economy)  
Dirección General de Calidad y Evaluación Ambiental  (General Directorate for 
Enviro nmental Quality and Assessment)  
Tel.: 91 597 6354  
buzon -sgr@miteco.es  
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [X], 2.10.1 [ ], 5.6.2 [ ], 5.7.1 [ ], 3.2 [ ], 7.2 [ ], 
other:  
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff 
heading . ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable) : Packaging 
(see definition in Article 3 of the draft Royal Decree)  
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of th e notified document : Proyecto de Real 
Decreto de envases y residuos de envases  (Draft Royal Decree on packaging and 
packaging waste) (87 pages, in Spanish)  
6. Description of content : The notified draft Royal Decree establishes general obligations 
for prod ucers of packaged goods, whether in household, commercial or industrial 
packaging . Producers must comply individually or collectively through extended producer 
responsibility (EPR) systems . The draft includes various provisions on the establishment 
and fun ctioning of EPR systems . It also sets out obligations for producers in the area of 
e-commerce.  
It includes specific objectives on prevent ing the generation of packaging waste, as well 
as on reuse and recycled content . It also includes national objectives for separate 
packaging and recycling  collections . 
The draft determines the cost of packaging waste management to be covered by financial 
contributions from producers under the new European Union requirements on the matter . 
Regarding collective c ompliance with obligations, minimum criteria are also established 
to regulate financial contributions, taking into account the design of the packaging.  
The draft also introduces new marking requirements for  packaging  - for example , 
indicat ing its reusabili ty, the section or container in which it should be deposited or, where 
applicable, the symbol associated with the deposit -return system.  G/TBT/N/ESP/46  
- 2 - 
  It regulates the mechanisms needed to increase transparency and appropriate monitoring 
and control of producers' obliga tions in terms of both product marketing and product 
waste  management . 
Lastly, the draft Royal Decree includes provisions on the deposit -return system for 
reusable packaging and some single -use beverage containers . With regard  to the latter , 
and pursuant t o Law No. 7/2022, the system will become obligatory if the objectives for 
the separate collection of single -use plastic bottles set for 2023 or 2027 are not met, and 
will also affect cans and cardboard packaging (cartons).  
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable : The main purpose of the draft Royal Decree is to prevent and reduce the 
impact of packaging on the environment and improve packaging waste management 
throughout the life cycle of packaging . It brings Spanish legislation into line with the new 
EPR system and other provisions arising from Directive No. 2018/852 ; Protection of the 
environment  
8. Relevant documents:  
9. Proposed date of adoption : 31 December 2 022 
Proposed date of entr y into force : 1 January 2 023 
10. Final date for comments : 60 days from notification  
11. Texts available from : National enquiry point [ ] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers and email and website addresses, if available, of other body:  
Subdirección General de Economía Circular  
Dirección General de Calidad y Evaluación Ambiental  
Ministerio para la Transición Ecológica y el Reto Demográfico  
Buzon -sgr@miteco.es  
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2022/TBT/ESP/22_3885_00_s.pdf