A few days ago, Amazon issued an announcement that it has launched an expanded producer responsibility (EPR) seller center partner network to help sellers comply with Germany's EPR packaging law by June 30, 2022, and by December 31, 2022 Comply with electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) laws.
The announcement also mentioned that if sellers in Germany cannot prove their compliance with the EPR before June 30, 2022 , Amazon will legally suspend sellers’ non-compliant listings under the EPR product category.
Since last year, EPR compliance has been mentioned all the time, and Amazon has also attached great importance to it. It has repeatedly issued articles to remind sellers to pay attention. This time, the EPR compliance deadline for the German station has been clearly given, and sellers need to prepare as soon as possible, otherwise non-compliant products will be removed from the shelves in accordance with the law after June.
What is EPR?
Extended Producer's Responsibility, which means the extended producer responsibility system, is an environmental policy introduced by the European Union. The policy requires producers to be responsible for the entire life cycle of the goods they sell, reducing the impact of goods on the environment.
EPR includes but is not limited to packaging law, electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), battery law.
Which sellers are subject to the EPR policy?
Amazon requires that sellers who meet the following conditions need to comply with the EPR policy:
① If the goods that need to meet the extended producer responsibility requirements are manufactured in the corresponding country/region;
② If the goods that need to meet the extended producer responsibility requirements are imported to the corresponding countries/regions;
③ If the goods that need to meet the extended producer responsibility requirements are sold in the corresponding country/region, and the company has not been established in the country/region.
Obviously, the vast majority of sellers meet the third situation . German/French sellers who sell EPR classified products should register EPR as soon as possible.
Which products require an EPR registration number?
At present, the categories of goods that need to comply with the EPR policy are packaging, electrical and electronic equipment, batteries, furniture, tires, textiles, and paper.
Among them, there are 7 categories in France and 3 categories in Germany ↓↓↓
If the seller is involved in the products of the above categories, they need to be seated according to the number of the products they sell, and provide Amazon with the EPR registration number of the corresponding product category.
If there is no EPR related product category, will it be affected by the EPR policy? If packaging is used to wrap the product or protect the product during transportation, it is also affected by the EPR policy, because packaging is one of the EPR product classifications.
How to achieve EPR compliance?
① Confirm whether you need to provide an EPR registration number;
② Check whether the product conforms to the EPR commodity classification, and if so, further determine the classification involved in the product;
③ Calculate the quantity that the store needs to declare;
④ Mark relevant marks on products and packaging after EPR registration;
⑤ Upload the EPR registration number to prove that it meets the extended producer responsibility requirements;
⑥ Make regular declarations and payments to the producer responsibility organization.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Do self-shipping sellers need to follow the EPR policy?
Yes, the EPR policy is not related to the shipping method, but to the type of goods sold, and Amazon must confirm that all sellers meet the requirements of Extended Producer Responsibility.
2. Can the EPR be used in the EU?
EPR is not universal, and each country/region has different registration requirements, registration procedures and authorization agencies, so France and Germany need to be registered separately, and different EPR commodity classifications need to have separate registration numbers.
3. There are many models of similar products, do I need to register multiple times?
Similar products only need to provide a total data, no need to subdivide into each model. If you add products in the future, you can supplement and pay the relevant fees in the subsequent declaration.
4. What else do I need to do after EPR registration is completed?
After obtaining the registration code, you need to declare the data on time, renew the fee every year, and pay the recycling processing fee to the relevant recycling agency, so that you can use the EPR registration number for a long time.
5. What happens if I do not register for EPR?
If a seller cannot demonstrate compliance with the EPR requirements to Amazon, Amazon will be obliged to suspend its listing of non-compliant products under the EPR product category.
Amazon has always attached great importance to compliance operations. There are only about 3 months left until June 30. There is not much time left for sellers, and arrangements need to be made as soon as possible!
