2019/0542/LV
EC/EFTA
LV Lettonie
  • B30 - Environnement
2020-02-05
2019-11-13

Application of a deposit system for beverage packaging

Draft law on amendments to the Packaging Law

The draft technical regulation proposes to:

introduce, from 1 February 2022, a mandatory deposit system for reusable and single-use beverage packaging.

The deposit system is uniform throughout the country and its application is enforced by the deposit system operator.

Requirements for the deposit system operator:

1) its founders and members are deposit packagers and associations whose members are deposit packagers;

2) profits are reinvested to ensure the development and operational efficiency of the deposit system;

3) ensure acceptance, collection, sorting, transport, recycling or preparation for reuse of the deposit packaging;

4) ensure collection of information in the deposit accounting system;

5) comply with the principle of transparency in its activities and decision-making, including justification of the costs involved in implementing the deposit system;

6) organise public information events regarding the beverage packaging deposit system;

7) be registered in the public service providers register.

Monitoring and inspection:

1) the activities of the deposit packager are monitored by the Latvian State Environmental Service.

2) the activities of the deposit system operator are monitored by the Latvian State Environmental Service and the Latvian Public Utilities Commission regarding the provision of the regulated service (determination of the deposit system membership fee and handling disagreements concerning the deposit packaging management fee).

It is planned to apply the deposit system to single-use and reusable packaging of a fixed assortment of drinks. The deposit system is intended to incorporate the following goods nomenclature: drinking water, non-alcoholic beverages, beer, low-alcohol beverages (cider, cocktails, etc.). The types of packaging materials for which the deposit system is to be applied are PET (plastic), glass and metal. The types of packaging volume for which the deposit system is to be applied will be determined during the development of the regulatory enactments necessary for the implementation of the system, considering the technical capacities and economic feasibility of the deposit system in Latvia.

It follows from the draft law that the Cabinet determines:

1) beverages whose packaging is subject to a deposit system and beverage packaging which is subject to a deposit system;

2) the procedures and conditions for ensuring the uninterrupted operation of the deposit system, the use of the infrastructure, the selection of the operator and the conclusion and termination of the contract;

3) the accounting procedure for deposit packaging;

4) the procedure by which the deposit system operator must submit to the Latvian State Environmental Service an overview regarding the implementation of the deposit system, the format of the overview and the information to be included therein;

5) the procedure by which the deposit packager who sells beverages in the deposit packaging to end users must ensure acceptance of the deposit packaging and the minimum requirements for the territorial coverage of the deposit packaging acceptance points;

6) the conditions under which several deposit packagers may form a single point of acceptance of the deposit packaging.