News and Statements

After the government’s resignation, Draft Law 10066 “On Packaging and Packaging
Waste” was withdrawn from Parliament: UKRPEC comment

Recently, Draft Law No. 10066 “On Packaging and Packaging Waste,” which for years has
remained at the center of attention for the entire packaging sector, was withdrawn from the
Verkhovna Rada. According to Article 105 of the Law “On the Rules of Procedure of the
Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine,” government-initiated draft laws are considered withdrawn if the
powers of the Cabinet of Ministers cease before they are adopted in the first reading. This legal
provision came into effect following the resignation of Denys Shmyhal’s government.

It should be recalled that the Cabinet of Ministers submitted this draft law to the Parliament back
in September 2023. The document was developed by the Ministry of Environmental Protection
and Natural Resources’ Working Group under the coordination of the EU4Environment project
within the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Experts prepared five
comprehensive analytical reports. The draft law passed approval in all relevant executive
authorities and within the Cabinet of Ministers’ Secretariat.

Draft Law No. 10066 was based on the provisions of EU Directive 94/62 on packaging and
packaging waste, which had been in force since 1994. At the end of last year, the Council of the
European Union adopted a new Regulation (EU) 2025/40 on packaging and packaging waste
(PPWR), which repealed the previous Directive. The Regulation is directly applicable to all EU
Member States and will begin to apply from 12 August 2026.

Now, only the alternative draft laws No. 10066-1 and No. 10066-2, submitted by Members of
Parliament, remain under consideration. Like the withdrawn governmental draft law, they do not
take into account the new European requirements — despite the fact that Ukrainian lawmakers
are obligated, under the Association Agreement, to align national legislation with these
standards.

— The key question now is whether the Cabinet of Ministers will prepare a new draft law aligned
with the current European legislation. If so, it must be developed by the competent ministry in
cooperation with European partners. The process will require approval from central executive
authorities, the Ministry of Justice, and ultimately the Cabinet of Ministers itself. As our previous
experience shows, this could take years.

In addition, we must take into account that the new government has abolished the Ministry of
Environmental Protection, transferring its responsibilities to another ministry. Some of the
experts who worked on packaging waste issues may lose their positions. Who will oversee the
preparation of the new draft law, and whether the new ministry has the necessary specialists —
these questions remain open, — commented Volodymyr Slabyi, Chair of the Executive
Committee of UKRPEC.

The Ukrainian Packaging and Environmental Coalition continues to closely monitor the situation
and emphasizes: launching an effective packaging waste management system requires
legislation aligned with the latest European standards. Ukrainian producers, businesses, local
authorities, and other stakeholders need clear, predictable, and fair rules of the game.

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