However, this loophole began to create issues. Until now, you already had to get your packaging materials licensed by a so-called system partner. Vinos: http://www.lolamorawine.com.ar/vinos.html, Regalos Empresariales: http://www.lolamorawine.com.ar/regalos-empresariales.html, Delicatesen: http://www.lolamorawine.com.ar/delicatesen.html, Finca "El Dtil": http://www.lolamorawine.com.ar/finca.html, Historia de "Lola Mora": http://www.lolamorawine.com.ar/historia.html, Galera de Fotos: http://www.lolamorawine.com.ar/seccion-galerias.html, Sitiorealizado por estrategics.com(C) 2009, http://www.lolamorawine.com.ar/vinos.html, http://www.lolamorawine.com.ar/regalos-empresariales.html, http://www.lolamorawine.com.ar/delicatesen.html, http://www.lolamorawine.com.ar/finca.html, http://www.lolamorawine.com.ar/historia.html, http://www.lolamorawine.com.ar/seccion-galerias.html. I wish the answer was simple Germany has long had a law that requires recycling of packaging materials (called. Unlike VAT tax regulations which are based on the amount sold or declared, eBay and Etsy do not know anything about your packaging. Does your Etsy shop need Privacy Policies? I try to source eco-friendly packaging as much as possible, but having to issue 'reports' to some German gov't dept. Fear not! Etsy warned sellers that those shipping to countries in the EU (European Union) face new requirements that presumably apply to sellers on any platform. It has been entrusted with sovereign tasks which are specified in 26 of the Packaging Act. Failure to register can result in a fine up to $57,000 (50,000 ) and a ban on selling there. Remember to take this extra cost into account in your shipping prices to Germany. Not they dont, other European countries do not have similar licensing. Sign 12"- 36" Round, Set of 4 Lake Coeur d'Alene, Idaho Slate Coasters, Dominoes Hub with Optional Case and/or Train Tokens. I think Reclay is the cheapest option - their base price is 6. From my research it seems it applies to any business. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. In summary: Manufacturers need to pay a yearly recycling fee depending on the packaging amounts they sell to the German end-consumer market. Regulations Hit Sellers Shipping to Europe, eBay Updates User Agreement for Affiliate Marketers, Amazon Ramps up Seller Verification to Thwart Counterfeiters. Producers and all other economic operators who market packaged products in Germany have to comply with the new law even if based abroad if they sell into Germany. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts, https://www.verpackungsregister.org/fileadmin/LUCID/Technical-guidelines-Declaration-of-completeness.pdf. was having the same contemplation about this, have you find any solution for this. If you notice in the middle of the year that youre going to use more packaging than you licensed, you should probably look into licensing this in advance before the end of the year. In the event of non-registration or distribution of goods for which the manufacturer has not properly registered the brands it markets, a fine of up to 100,000 per case may be imposed.
Etsy outlined the steps sellers who registered as a business must take to comply with EU laws, including adjusting their return policies to offer a minimum of 14-day returns. Put NA for any fields that don't apply. The easiest thing to do for a small business like mine, is to stop selling to Germany, and thats what Im going to do. Every registered company will receive a registration number. The German Packaging Act places the full responsibility on the producer, which now includes shipping materials used by international merchants and sellers as well. Verpackung ohne Marken-Logo - is packaging withoutyour logo (unbranded brown boxes), Papier/Pappe/Karton = paper/cardboard/paperboard, *The star led to a phrase in fine print below that when translated to English read "price per month for 24 months". Anyone whosells product to the German economy/customer/end user. Visit LUCID for additional information on this requirement, or reach out to a local legal expert. Obviously, for some sellers, this will not make much financial sense and according to information provided by eBay and Etsy, both marketplaces will automatically block orders to Germany if the seller did not provide proof of their LUCID registration. You must register before sending any products to the German market.
With coronavirus, we have seen supply chain disruptions, stock market fluctuations, even companies temporarily stopping business. This allows competing companies to use the database to check whether a retailer has fulfilled the necessary registration requirements.Even when the Packaging Regulation was passed, courts had confirmed that a violation of the licensing duty constituted a violation of the law against unfair competition. The new German Packaging Act applies from 1 January 2019. You may want to consider the shipping profile with countries except Germany. It feels completely ridiculous to submit a yearly report that's like "yes, I sent 11 standard paper envelopes to Germany this year, with a total weight of 32 grams, please make sure they get recycled, here's 30". To avoid getting banned from the market or facing tremendous fees, you should registeryour company. It is said that more countries will be regulating packaging. The German regulations only make the marketplaces responsible for ensuring they obtain valid EPR registration numbers from their sellers. The idea behind is that packaging sellers must ensure in advance that the packaging they put into circulation is correctly disposed of, whether used for product protection, marketing purposes or shipment packaging. Beginning July 1, 2022, Germany will require online marketplaces to verify their retailers are complying with the German Packaging Act (VerpackG) a national effort to reduce the environmental impact of global packaging waste. Note that the governmental authority specifically mentions that ". But there is an ongoing discussion thread in the community forums where Etsy sellers have offered tips and suggested service providers to other sellers that would enable them to be compliant with the new regulations. As some people have found out, if you don't want your items to be available to Germany, you'd either have to cancel all German orders outright or adjust your shipping settings to specify *every single country* you can ship to and leave out Germany (since "Everywhere Else" is an option). Etsy said if you ship even one order to Germany, you must register. Shipping just one item to Germany requires registration with their newly created agency translated as. The recycling companies I looked at paying the fee for them to do the recycling of packaging there had minimum payment amounts (the cheapest I saw was 35 for up to 1kg) and my small shop can't absorb that cost. In an announcement on Tuesday, Etsy wrote: We wanted to let you know about a new consumer protection directive that has passed in the European Union and how it may impact your shop. To relax from the daily business grind, for a few weekends a year, he also works for IMSA as a professional race official. Then for company number if you're not registered as a company and are just a sole trader you fill in all the spots as 'none' for that option. Etsy in a blog post also informed its sellers about this forthcoming change and just like eBay, it will also require sellers to provide a valid EPR registration or block sales to Germany. eBay sellers that do not complete this process will be blocked from selling to Germany after July 1, 2022.
This is an arrangement in Germany. So naturally ebay is gung ho for them theyre a great help in its primary mission, which is to operate a honey trap for US small businesses, masquerading as an ecommerce marketplace and burden them with so much carp that theres.no chance of them causing probs for the corps or their Chinese masters. I registered last year and when I renewed this year, they had an "early bird" sale so it was even cheaper. Does this mean that small shop owners are exempt from it? To avoid getting banned from the market or facing tremendous fees, you should registeryour company. Easy solution for meno more sales to EU nations. CustomCat is compliant with the German Packaging Act. And those who fulfilled them and have complied with the law have helped paying for the others recycling duties. In the FAQ there is a "Are there special rules regarding small quantities of packaging" - and the answer is, "there is no minimumquantity with regard to system participation requirement". Follow her on Twitter at @ecommercebytes and send news tips to ina@ecommercebytes.com. In what may be even more concerning to sellers: Add your contact information in the seller details section underneath your return policies. Business Insights for Your Online Business Presented with a Dash of Humor. The legislator considered this freeloader behavior as no longer tolerable and created the, Foundation Central Agency Packaging Register, Increase surveillance and control over the compliance with product responsibility regulations. If you send only couple orders to Germany it might be better to just not ship there, but you need to calculate if its worth for you and if you can add the extra to your shipping prices. Presumably other marketplaces, including eBay, and other platforms will likewise advise sellers. So, even if you are only placing one packaged item on the German market you will still need to comply. Only if they are registered and comply with the system participation requirement are electronic marketplaces allowed to offer their goods.. Even single shipments are subject to its provisions as there is no minimum threshold before compliance kicks in. Until now, you already had to get your packaging materials licensed by a so-called system partner. Non-compliance may result in severe consequences, including fines, damage claims and confiscation of profits. Thats one of the stupidest things Ive ever seen. While the amendment has impacted some producers and sellers in Europe already, starting on July 1, 2022, marketplaces such as eBay and Etsy must validate that their sellers globally hold a valid Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) registration number or they will have to block sales to German addresses. Your email address will not be published. I've updated my FAQ to say I won't be shipping to Germany, even though I have successfully registered with LUCID. I know some answers to this are going to be "it doesn't matter" or "they won't actually fine you like they say in the article" but I don't want my customers to be on the hook for something I am responsible for, or for me to get dinged/customers orders go undelivered because I didn't do something I was supposed to. No idea why there isn't an exemption for tiny amounts of packaging, especially since Germany already has a recycling system in place. I sell on Etsy and heres Etsys instructions of whats required. From the FAQ section of the verpapckung website: A quote from this website:The countrys pending VerpackG legislation will affect all manufacturers, importers, distributors and online retailers placing goods for sale on the German market, said Michelle Carvell, COO of Lorax Compliance. I probably use more packaging sending things to friends and family there than because of my shop, but I don't have to register for the former. More info and faqs here:-> verpackungsregister.org/en/information-orientation/instructions-further-information/subject-specific-papers#c11359-> verpackungsregister.org/en/information-orientation/instructions-further-information/faq. I understand this law came into effect in 2019, but it looks like some new regulations are coming into effect on July 1 of this year (article). He has over 17 years of experience on eBay which includes tens of thousands of sales to buyers in over 100 countries and even has experience with eBays VeRO program enforcing intellectual property rights for a former employer. No, I think it just means there's a third requirement if you produce that amount. If you are selling goods to German consumers via an online marketplace like Etsy or Amazon, you will be asked to provide a LUCID ID number to your marketplace to verify compliance with VerpackG. Required fields are marked *. The marketplace did not partner with a service provider in Europe that could help its sellers. The last couple weeks my attention was drawn to a concerning Facebook post about parcels that did not getdelivered to their destination in Germany. If you plan to sell to Germany, the answer is Yes. I wanted to see for myself how much it would cost and what I found wasn't pretty On January 1st, the Packaging Act (German: VerpackG) replaces the Packaging Ordinance that had already been in effect since 1991.
Which is not a thing that's going to happen to you if you're sending 3 packages or envelopes per year to Germany. Many have mused that this is only applicable to large pallet large scale businesses. Information is only relevant to small businesses (who dont send crazy amounts of orders to Germany). LUCID is a public register and makes it possible for everyone to see which manufacturer is registered for which trademarks/brands. But due to the absence of state surveillance and control, there have been many manufacturers that have not complied to the law and neglected their product responsibilities in the past. For more information about the German Packaging Act (VerpackG) & its impact on Etsy sellers, please review the VerpackG section of Etsys Seller Handbook. What is the reasoning and history behind this act? Blog about online vintage selling on Etsy.
A system partner is a company to which you pay the licensing fee for your materials. In those years I've received an order from Germany a total of 22 times. This packaging act is affecting many of us online retailers who send goods to Germany. Please be aware that this is a European Law that's been inforced - all European countries have more or less similar licensing arrangements :(. This directive requires professional sellers who ship to the EU to identify themselves to buyers as traders. Under EU law, traders are required to provide the right to withdraw to their consumers (also known as right of withdrawal). Of course, big corporations love regulations they have buildings full of lawyers to deal with them. discussion thread in the community forums, requesting a free EIN number from the IRS, Facebook Group for Small Business Sellers, USPS Plans To Hire Fewer Seasonal Workers for the 2022 Holiday Season, Royal Mail Reaches Milestone With More Than 3,000 Electric Vans in Its Mail Delivery Fleet, PayPal Launches First Ever Venmo Small Business Grant Program. A system partner is a company to which you pay the licensing fee for your materials. With the registration, however, the manufacturer confirms that he has correctly fulfilled his product responsibility. Or a consumer protection agency might notice and take action. Etsy advised sellers of a new law going into effect in Germany: This law states that if you ship to German buyers, youll need to register your tax ID and information with LUCID Packaging Register, the German government database. The fees are also directly used to fund the national recycling system. You would think that when a government creates restrictions for international businesses shipping goods into their country, those regulations would mostly only apply to large companies and corporations. The problem is, cost. A fine of up to 100,000 per case can be imposed for a registration that has not been completed. Customizing the new Etsy forums and teams, Etsy Quick Trick: free shipping plus 15% off. It is based on the latest revision of the EU Packaging Waste Directive from 2018. The German Packaging Act, also known as VerpackG, came into force in January 2019. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. As such, we have registered with. The term producer, however, includes importers and retailers, too. PleasePLEASE drop me a comment if you have a suggestion that could help me. In these cases, please contact your production partner for their LUCID ID number or, For more information about the German Packaging Act (VerpackG) & its impact on Etsy sellers, please, review the VerpackG section of Etsys Seller Handbook. The idea behind is that packaging sellers must ensure in advance that the packaging they put into circulation is correctly disposed of, whether used for product protection, marketing purposes or shipment packaging. Recent events have prompted an interest in privacy policies. By doing so, we will automatically display trader status and the required contact information on your listings., Etsy noted, This is an EU directive and Etsy will try and help you navigate your Etsy shop, but if you have any legal questions or concerns about whether this applies to you, please contact your legal advisor.. I saw the article show up on my dashboard this morning. Go straight away back to the LUCID platform and enter the same amount of packaging you registered with the Dual System partner in the Data Report. Your existing products will be banned from the German market by law, meaning that they are no longer allowed to be sold neither by you, nor by any other distributor. German law has shifted the responsibility to the shipper.https://www.haendlerbund.de/en/services/legal-texts/packaging-act8. There is no grace period for transition, and there are serious repercussions for non-compliance. If all the EU countries do like Germany, Ill stop selling to them too. Additionally, some non-EU member countries in Europe such as the UK, Switzerland, and Norway will have their own schemes as well, potentially adding to the complexities. All rights reserved. Before shipping anything to Germany, register on lucid.verpackungsregister.org AND register with a system partner. While Germanys data protection laws are some of the strictest in the world, providing a social security number may not be the best suggestion here, regardless. Sole proprietors should consider requesting a free EIN number from the IRS which will further separate your business finances from your personal finances but will also change how you file your taxes. It is conceivable that competitors will enforce the distribution ban by civil law. I'd rather spend that $35 on eco-friendly packaging for 100 domestic customers than the 1-2 German customers I get every year. We do not share your information and you can unsubscribe anytime. If they are not able to prove this properly, they themselves are obliged to carry out the licensing. As a seller to Germany, I would be required to inform my German customer as to how they can recycle the packaging material my product came in. Change). to ensure the packaging materials sent to Germany with your customers orders are responsibly recycled. This means that retailers must always be able to prove in the event of a case that the entire packaging (including bubble wrap and/or adhesive tape, for example) has actually already been licensed. If you use items like glassine bags and certain eco plastic stickers (mine are both made from cellulose), those go in the other materials. Germanys Packaging Act appears to be the most restrictive in Europe to date. E. ven German sellers are having a hard time obtaining a license. Failure to comply with the new regulation can lead to hefty fines up to 200,000 Euros. This is typical over-bureaucratic German nonsense. This means that producers are made responsible for recycling the packaging of their goods. That seems way less complicated than using the direct website Etsy links you to. If you don't want to ship to Germany, you only have to deselect ONE checkbox. If youre a small business like me, youve probably heard of the new German Packaging Act (VerpackG). If you dont register you may face fines up to 200,000 and a prohibition in sales, and your goods could possibly be confiscated during delivery., And eBay set up a page on its website about the new law, explaining, As of July 1, 2022 eBay is legally obligated to confirm our sellers meet these requirements. and individually engage someone to 'manage' the empty packaging of whomever bought my stuff in Germany is justno. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Have you looked at Activate by Reclay? Producers, importers and retailers as all other economic operators concerned can easily register online: Unlike some other countries, the German laws are very strict: there are no thresholds for registering and reporting. When licensing to your system partner, you need to sign with your registration number provided by the Central Agency. , the Packaging Act (German: VerpackG) replaces the Packaging Ordinance that had already been in effect since 1991. 12 GPA). All of this is happening under the EU Packaging Waste Directive, so Germany might just be the first EU country to go this route. You can simply register your brands on the Lucid Website. Small businesses receive a commercial taxpayer reference number that differs from the owner's private taxpayer reference number. Google Search Trend a Good Sign for Vintage Sellers? Non-participation in a dual system can be punished with a fine of up to 200,000.In addition, the publication shall serve the purpose of guaranteeing fair competition. Your email address will not be published. This screenshot is from a quote I got for paying licensing fees to one of the main system partners for just 1kg (approx 2lbs) of cardboard packaging per year (I send things in small new cardboard boxes). I googled, crowd-sourced, and searched for info about the newGerman Packaging Act, but mostly found people saying "I won't ship to Germany anymore" - "It's not worth the hassle" - "It's not worth the money". Register to LUCID (German packaging register) free of charge here: lucid.verpackungsregister.org, Use your registration number (in the LUCID dashboard) to license your packaging using a Dual System partner. Some sellers may even be fined up to 200000 Euros (although I dont know how that would be enforced on small international businesses, so I dont think the fines would apply to them). Is there a loophole I have missed?
Many have mused that this is only applicable to large pallet large scale businesses. Maybe you were frustrated of this new system and wanted to stop selling to German customers alltogether? Shop Manager > Finances > Legal and tax information, The German Packaging Act (VerpackG): How to get your online shop compliant. Like many such directives from the EU, it leaves execution up to each country to accomplish the goals of the directive resulting in 27 different rules and regulations. What does this mean? *Disclaimer: Im not a German packaging law professional and the information on this website is intended for informational purposes only and is not legal advice.
https://support.pirateship.com/en/articles/4854238-list-of-countries-with-full-tracking-for-simple-export-rate. If you are not, they can confiscate the item or even levy fines. The agency acts as federal authority. Some exclusions apply, such as customized, made-to-order, and digital items.. You can find more info in this article by Etsy: etsy.com/seller-handbook/article/verpackg-packaging-act-requirements/501392119812. I've been selling online for over 10 years now on multiple Etsy platforms, Amazon, and now our website, (which you are on right now). Nikury | Copyright Nina Grnlund | Privacy Policy, etsy.com/seller-handbook/article/verpackg-packaging-act-requirements/501392119812, verpackungsregister.org/en/information-orientation/instructions-further-information/subject-specific-papers#c11359, verpackungsregister.org/en/information-orientation/instructions-further-information/faq. The. Register with LUCID. I filed this away in my memory banks but a few days ago, order number 22 arrived with an address in Germany. Her blog was featured in the book, "Blogging Heroes" (Wiley 2008). Even a single sale will require you to be registered. When did we concede that we are subject to the extra-territorial jurisdiction of the EU?
Stay tuned! I dont think you can just unselect one country. But not Germanys new VerpackG Packaging Act. The European Union has enacted new rules in that arena called the "Gener Etsy community spaces have issues Okay, you have found your team or forum. Perhaps I don't understand this fully.
"The GPA obliges more producers and distributors including online retailers to register and participate in a disposal and recycling system. Out of 44,000+ sales, if just 22 have come from Germany, it seems that may not be my target market. You can communicate this information to buyers using your shop policies, Message to Buyers, or a terms and conditions document. To learn more about how to get your packaging licensed and why you need a license or any other questions related to this new law as it applies to your sales on eBay, visit Lizenzeros site in English here. In the FAQ document provided by ZSVR, the agency says that a national tax number may be used as well instead of a VAT number. CustomCat is an online print-on-demand, drop Seems awfully complicated. Verpackungsverordnung VerpackV or "German Packing Regulation"). This act applies to all, including one man businesses. Yeah, I'm wondering about this too. Sadly, for small US sellers the expense and difficulty are such that. Thanks, My head hurts already just reading that. For US sellers operating as sole proprietorships that would mean your social security number. eBay has partnered with Lizenzero to help sellers license their packaging digitally through the Interseroh+ system. I checked out several of thesystem partners and they were quoting anywhere from $55USD to $100+USD PER YEAR to license packaging products, even if I only inserted that I was sending 1kg of cardboard per year. The law thereby creates an economic incentive for companies to use recyclable packaging and fewer resources altogether. Look at the second requirement. All orders placed through CustomCat are associated with our registration number & responsible disposal of this packaging is paid for by CustomCat annually. It's asking for VAT numbers and a bunch of Germany-specific things that I don't have.
Etsy outlined the steps sellers who registered as a business must take to comply with EU laws, including adjusting their return policies to offer a minimum of 14-day returns. Put NA for any fields that don't apply. The easiest thing to do for a small business like mine, is to stop selling to Germany, and thats what Im going to do. Every registered company will receive a registration number. The German Packaging Act places the full responsibility on the producer, which now includes shipping materials used by international merchants and sellers as well. Verpackung ohne Marken-Logo - is packaging withoutyour logo (unbranded brown boxes), Papier/Pappe/Karton = paper/cardboard/paperboard, *The star led to a phrase in fine print below that when translated to English read "price per month for 24 months". Anyone whosells product to the German economy/customer/end user. Visit LUCID for additional information on this requirement, or reach out to a local legal expert. Obviously, for some sellers, this will not make much financial sense and according to information provided by eBay and Etsy, both marketplaces will automatically block orders to Germany if the seller did not provide proof of their LUCID registration. You must register before sending any products to the German market.
With coronavirus, we have seen supply chain disruptions, stock market fluctuations, even companies temporarily stopping business. This allows competing companies to use the database to check whether a retailer has fulfilled the necessary registration requirements.Even when the Packaging Regulation was passed, courts had confirmed that a violation of the licensing duty constituted a violation of the law against unfair competition. The new German Packaging Act applies from 1 January 2019. You may want to consider the shipping profile with countries except Germany. It feels completely ridiculous to submit a yearly report that's like "yes, I sent 11 standard paper envelopes to Germany this year, with a total weight of 32 grams, please make sure they get recycled, here's 30". To avoid getting banned from the market or facing tremendous fees, you should registeryour company. It is said that more countries will be regulating packaging. The German regulations only make the marketplaces responsible for ensuring they obtain valid EPR registration numbers from their sellers. The idea behind is that packaging sellers must ensure in advance that the packaging they put into circulation is correctly disposed of, whether used for product protection, marketing purposes or shipment packaging. Beginning July 1, 2022, Germany will require online marketplaces to verify their retailers are complying with the German Packaging Act (VerpackG) a national effort to reduce the environmental impact of global packaging waste. Note that the governmental authority specifically mentions that ". But there is an ongoing discussion thread in the community forums where Etsy sellers have offered tips and suggested service providers to other sellers that would enable them to be compliant with the new regulations. As some people have found out, if you don't want your items to be available to Germany, you'd either have to cancel all German orders outright or adjust your shipping settings to specify *every single country* you can ship to and leave out Germany (since "Everywhere Else" is an option). Etsy said if you ship even one order to Germany, you must register. Shipping just one item to Germany requires registration with their newly created agency translated as. The recycling companies I looked at paying the fee for them to do the recycling of packaging there had minimum payment amounts (the cheapest I saw was 35 for up to 1kg) and my small shop can't absorb that cost. In an announcement on Tuesday, Etsy wrote: We wanted to let you know about a new consumer protection directive that has passed in the European Union and how it may impact your shop. To relax from the daily business grind, for a few weekends a year, he also works for IMSA as a professional race official. Then for company number if you're not registered as a company and are just a sole trader you fill in all the spots as 'none' for that option. Etsy in a blog post also informed its sellers about this forthcoming change and just like eBay, it will also require sellers to provide a valid EPR registration or block sales to Germany. eBay sellers that do not complete this process will be blocked from selling to Germany after July 1, 2022.
This is an arrangement in Germany. So naturally ebay is gung ho for them theyre a great help in its primary mission, which is to operate a honey trap for US small businesses, masquerading as an ecommerce marketplace and burden them with so much carp that theres.no chance of them causing probs for the corps or their Chinese masters. I registered last year and when I renewed this year, they had an "early bird" sale so it was even cheaper. Does this mean that small shop owners are exempt from it? To avoid getting banned from the market or facing tremendous fees, you should registeryour company. Easy solution for meno more sales to EU nations. CustomCat is compliant with the German Packaging Act. And those who fulfilled them and have complied with the law have helped paying for the others recycling duties. In the FAQ there is a "Are there special rules regarding small quantities of packaging" - and the answer is, "there is no minimumquantity with regard to system participation requirement". Follow her on Twitter at @ecommercebytes and send news tips to ina@ecommercebytes.com. In what may be even more concerning to sellers: Add your contact information in the seller details section underneath your return policies. Business Insights for Your Online Business Presented with a Dash of Humor. The legislator considered this freeloader behavior as no longer tolerable and created the, Foundation Central Agency Packaging Register, Increase surveillance and control over the compliance with product responsibility regulations. If you send only couple orders to Germany it might be better to just not ship there, but you need to calculate if its worth for you and if you can add the extra to your shipping prices. Presumably other marketplaces, including eBay, and other platforms will likewise advise sellers. So, even if you are only placing one packaged item on the German market you will still need to comply. Only if they are registered and comply with the system participation requirement are electronic marketplaces allowed to offer their goods.. Even single shipments are subject to its provisions as there is no minimum threshold before compliance kicks in. Until now, you already had to get your packaging materials licensed by a so-called system partner. Non-compliance may result in severe consequences, including fines, damage claims and confiscation of profits. Thats one of the stupidest things Ive ever seen. While the amendment has impacted some producers and sellers in Europe already, starting on July 1, 2022, marketplaces such as eBay and Etsy must validate that their sellers globally hold a valid Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) registration number or they will have to block sales to German addresses. Your email address will not be published. I've updated my FAQ to say I won't be shipping to Germany, even though I have successfully registered with LUCID. I know some answers to this are going to be "it doesn't matter" or "they won't actually fine you like they say in the article" but I don't want my customers to be on the hook for something I am responsible for, or for me to get dinged/customers orders go undelivered because I didn't do something I was supposed to. No idea why there isn't an exemption for tiny amounts of packaging, especially since Germany already has a recycling system in place. I sell on Etsy and heres Etsys instructions of whats required. From the FAQ section of the verpapckung website: A quote from this website:The countrys pending VerpackG legislation will affect all manufacturers, importers, distributors and online retailers placing goods for sale on the German market, said Michelle Carvell, COO of Lorax Compliance. I probably use more packaging sending things to friends and family there than because of my shop, but I don't have to register for the former. More info and faqs here:-> verpackungsregister.org/en/information-orientation/instructions-further-information/subject-specific-papers#c11359-> verpackungsregister.org/en/information-orientation/instructions-further-information/faq. I understand this law came into effect in 2019, but it looks like some new regulations are coming into effect on July 1 of this year (article). He has over 17 years of experience on eBay which includes tens of thousands of sales to buyers in over 100 countries and even has experience with eBays VeRO program enforcing intellectual property rights for a former employer. No, I think it just means there's a third requirement if you produce that amount. If you are selling goods to German consumers via an online marketplace like Etsy or Amazon, you will be asked to provide a LUCID ID number to your marketplace to verify compliance with VerpackG. Required fields are marked *. The marketplace did not partner with a service provider in Europe that could help its sellers. The last couple weeks my attention was drawn to a concerning Facebook post about parcels that did not getdelivered to their destination in Germany. If you plan to sell to Germany, the answer is Yes. I wanted to see for myself how much it would cost and what I found wasn't pretty On January 1st, the Packaging Act (German: VerpackG) replaces the Packaging Ordinance that had already been in effect since 1991.
Which is not a thing that's going to happen to you if you're sending 3 packages or envelopes per year to Germany. Many have mused that this is only applicable to large pallet large scale businesses. Information is only relevant to small businesses (who dont send crazy amounts of orders to Germany). LUCID is a public register and makes it possible for everyone to see which manufacturer is registered for which trademarks/brands. But due to the absence of state surveillance and control, there have been many manufacturers that have not complied to the law and neglected their product responsibilities in the past. For more information about the German Packaging Act (VerpackG) & its impact on Etsy sellers, please review the VerpackG section of Etsys Seller Handbook. What is the reasoning and history behind this act? Blog about online vintage selling on Etsy.
A system partner is a company to which you pay the licensing fee for your materials. In those years I've received an order from Germany a total of 22 times. This packaging act is affecting many of us online retailers who send goods to Germany. Please be aware that this is a European Law that's been inforced - all European countries have more or less similar licensing arrangements :(. This directive requires professional sellers who ship to the EU to identify themselves to buyers as traders. Under EU law, traders are required to provide the right to withdraw to their consumers (also known as right of withdrawal). Of course, big corporations love regulations they have buildings full of lawyers to deal with them. discussion thread in the community forums, requesting a free EIN number from the IRS, Facebook Group for Small Business Sellers, USPS Plans To Hire Fewer Seasonal Workers for the 2022 Holiday Season, Royal Mail Reaches Milestone With More Than 3,000 Electric Vans in Its Mail Delivery Fleet, PayPal Launches First Ever Venmo Small Business Grant Program. A system partner is a company to which you pay the licensing fee for your materials. With the registration, however, the manufacturer confirms that he has correctly fulfilled his product responsibility. Or a consumer protection agency might notice and take action. Etsy advised sellers of a new law going into effect in Germany: This law states that if you ship to German buyers, youll need to register your tax ID and information with LUCID Packaging Register, the German government database. The fees are also directly used to fund the national recycling system. You would think that when a government creates restrictions for international businesses shipping goods into their country, those regulations would mostly only apply to large companies and corporations. The problem is, cost. A fine of up to 100,000 per case can be imposed for a registration that has not been completed. Customizing the new Etsy forums and teams, Etsy Quick Trick: free shipping plus 15% off. It is based on the latest revision of the EU Packaging Waste Directive from 2018. The German Packaging Act, also known as VerpackG, came into force in January 2019. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. As such, we have registered with. The term producer, however, includes importers and retailers, too. PleasePLEASE drop me a comment if you have a suggestion that could help me. In these cases, please contact your production partner for their LUCID ID number or, For more information about the German Packaging Act (VerpackG) & its impact on Etsy sellers, please, review the VerpackG section of Etsys Seller Handbook. The idea behind is that packaging sellers must ensure in advance that the packaging they put into circulation is correctly disposed of, whether used for product protection, marketing purposes or shipment packaging. Recent events have prompted an interest in privacy policies. By doing so, we will automatically display trader status and the required contact information on your listings., Etsy noted, This is an EU directive and Etsy will try and help you navigate your Etsy shop, but if you have any legal questions or concerns about whether this applies to you, please contact your legal advisor.. I saw the article show up on my dashboard this morning. Go straight away back to the LUCID platform and enter the same amount of packaging you registered with the Dual System partner in the Data Report. Your existing products will be banned from the German market by law, meaning that they are no longer allowed to be sold neither by you, nor by any other distributor. German law has shifted the responsibility to the shipper.https://www.haendlerbund.de/en/services/legal-texts/packaging-act8. There is no grace period for transition, and there are serious repercussions for non-compliance. If all the EU countries do like Germany, Ill stop selling to them too. Additionally, some non-EU member countries in Europe such as the UK, Switzerland, and Norway will have their own schemes as well, potentially adding to the complexities. All rights reserved. Before shipping anything to Germany, register on lucid.verpackungsregister.org AND register with a system partner. While Germanys data protection laws are some of the strictest in the world, providing a social security number may not be the best suggestion here, regardless. Sole proprietors should consider requesting a free EIN number from the IRS which will further separate your business finances from your personal finances but will also change how you file your taxes. It is conceivable that competitors will enforce the distribution ban by civil law. I'd rather spend that $35 on eco-friendly packaging for 100 domestic customers than the 1-2 German customers I get every year. We do not share your information and you can unsubscribe anytime. If they are not able to prove this properly, they themselves are obliged to carry out the licensing. As a seller to Germany, I would be required to inform my German customer as to how they can recycle the packaging material my product came in. Change). to ensure the packaging materials sent to Germany with your customers orders are responsibly recycled. This means that retailers must always be able to prove in the event of a case that the entire packaging (including bubble wrap and/or adhesive tape, for example) has actually already been licensed. If you use items like glassine bags and certain eco plastic stickers (mine are both made from cellulose), those go in the other materials. Germanys Packaging Act appears to be the most restrictive in Europe to date. E. ven German sellers are having a hard time obtaining a license. Failure to comply with the new regulation can lead to hefty fines up to 200,000 Euros. This is typical over-bureaucratic German nonsense. This means that producers are made responsible for recycling the packaging of their goods. That seems way less complicated than using the direct website Etsy links you to. If you don't want to ship to Germany, you only have to deselect ONE checkbox. If youre a small business like me, youve probably heard of the new German Packaging Act (VerpackG). If you dont register you may face fines up to 200,000 and a prohibition in sales, and your goods could possibly be confiscated during delivery., And eBay set up a page on its website about the new law, explaining, As of July 1, 2022 eBay is legally obligated to confirm our sellers meet these requirements. and individually engage someone to 'manage' the empty packaging of whomever bought my stuff in Germany is justno. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Have you looked at Activate by Reclay? Producers, importers and retailers as all other economic operators concerned can easily register online: Unlike some other countries, the German laws are very strict: there are no thresholds for registering and reporting. When licensing to your system partner, you need to sign with your registration number provided by the Central Agency. , the Packaging Act (German: VerpackG) replaces the Packaging Ordinance that had already been in effect since 1991. 12 GPA). All of this is happening under the EU Packaging Waste Directive, so Germany might just be the first EU country to go this route. You can simply register your brands on the Lucid Website. Small businesses receive a commercial taxpayer reference number that differs from the owner's private taxpayer reference number. Google Search Trend a Good Sign for Vintage Sellers? Non-participation in a dual system can be punished with a fine of up to 200,000.In addition, the publication shall serve the purpose of guaranteeing fair competition. Your email address will not be published. This screenshot is from a quote I got for paying licensing fees to one of the main system partners for just 1kg (approx 2lbs) of cardboard packaging per year (I send things in small new cardboard boxes). I googled, crowd-sourced, and searched for info about the newGerman Packaging Act, but mostly found people saying "I won't ship to Germany anymore" - "It's not worth the hassle" - "It's not worth the money". Register to LUCID (German packaging register) free of charge here: lucid.verpackungsregister.org, Use your registration number (in the LUCID dashboard) to license your packaging using a Dual System partner. Some sellers may even be fined up to 200000 Euros (although I dont know how that would be enforced on small international businesses, so I dont think the fines would apply to them). Is there a loophole I have missed?
Many have mused that this is only applicable to large pallet large scale businesses. Maybe you were frustrated of this new system and wanted to stop selling to German customers alltogether? Shop Manager > Finances > Legal and tax information, The German Packaging Act (VerpackG): How to get your online shop compliant. Like many such directives from the EU, it leaves execution up to each country to accomplish the goals of the directive resulting in 27 different rules and regulations. What does this mean? *Disclaimer: Im not a German packaging law professional and the information on this website is intended for informational purposes only and is not legal advice.
https://support.pirateship.com/en/articles/4854238-list-of-countries-with-full-tracking-for-simple-export-rate. If you are not, they can confiscate the item or even levy fines. The agency acts as federal authority. Some exclusions apply, such as customized, made-to-order, and digital items.. You can find more info in this article by Etsy: etsy.com/seller-handbook/article/verpackg-packaging-act-requirements/501392119812. I've been selling online for over 10 years now on multiple Etsy platforms, Amazon, and now our website, (which you are on right now). Nikury | Copyright Nina Grnlund | Privacy Policy, etsy.com/seller-handbook/article/verpackg-packaging-act-requirements/501392119812, verpackungsregister.org/en/information-orientation/instructions-further-information/subject-specific-papers#c11359, verpackungsregister.org/en/information-orientation/instructions-further-information/faq. The. Register with LUCID. I filed this away in my memory banks but a few days ago, order number 22 arrived with an address in Germany. Her blog was featured in the book, "Blogging Heroes" (Wiley 2008). Even a single sale will require you to be registered. When did we concede that we are subject to the extra-territorial jurisdiction of the EU?
Stay tuned! I dont think you can just unselect one country. But not Germanys new VerpackG Packaging Act. The European Union has enacted new rules in that arena called the "Gener Etsy community spaces have issues Okay, you have found your team or forum. Perhaps I don't understand this fully.
"The GPA obliges more producers and distributors including online retailers to register and participate in a disposal and recycling system. Out of 44,000+ sales, if just 22 have come from Germany, it seems that may not be my target market. You can communicate this information to buyers using your shop policies, Message to Buyers, or a terms and conditions document. To learn more about how to get your packaging licensed and why you need a license or any other questions related to this new law as it applies to your sales on eBay, visit Lizenzeros site in English here. In the FAQ document provided by ZSVR, the agency says that a national tax number may be used as well instead of a VAT number. CustomCat is an online print-on-demand, drop Seems awfully complicated. Verpackungsverordnung VerpackV or "German Packing Regulation"). This act applies to all, including one man businesses. Yeah, I'm wondering about this too. Sadly, for small US sellers the expense and difficulty are such that. Thanks, My head hurts already just reading that. For US sellers operating as sole proprietorships that would mean your social security number. eBay has partnered with Lizenzero to help sellers license their packaging digitally through the Interseroh+ system. I checked out several of thesystem partners and they were quoting anywhere from $55USD to $100+USD PER YEAR to license packaging products, even if I only inserted that I was sending 1kg of cardboard per year. The law thereby creates an economic incentive for companies to use recyclable packaging and fewer resources altogether. Look at the second requirement. All orders placed through CustomCat are associated with our registration number & responsible disposal of this packaging is paid for by CustomCat annually. It's asking for VAT numbers and a bunch of Germany-specific things that I don't have.