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Summaries of EU Legislation

Deregulation of pack sizes

Date of last review:
17/06/2021
Initial creation date:
21/10/2011
Summarised document(s):
Author:
Publications Office of the European Union
Responsible entity(ies):
Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs

Deregulation of pack sizes

SUMMARY OF:

Directive 2007/45/EC laying down rules on nominal quantities for prepacked products

WHAT IS THE AIM OF THE DIRECTIVE?

  • It lays down rules on the nominal quantities for products which are prepacked1 to facilitate their access to markets in different EU Member States.
  • It liberalises pack sizes for most food and drinks sectors.
  • It only maintains obligatory nominal quantities for a very limited number of goods, mainly wine and spirits.

KEY POINTS

European Union (EU) countries may not prohibit or restrict the placing into circulation of prepacked products and prepackages within the EU’s single market.

National sizes for products have been abolished.

Special cases

Wines and spirits which are presented prepacked must respect the range of nominal quantities prescribed in the annex to the directive for placing on the market. (This directive does not apply for products when they are sold in duty-free shops for consumption outside the EU market or if the package contains less than 5 g or 5 ml or more than 10 kg or 10 l).

Aerosol dispensers must indicate the nominal total capacity of the container in addition to the indication of the nominal volume of the contents. Indication of the nominal weight of the contents is optional.

FROM WHEN DOES THE DIRECTIVE APPLY?

It had to become law in the Member States by and the rules of the directive had to be applied by .

Directive 2007/45/EC has repealed Directives 75/106/EEC (on the making-up by volume of certain prepackaged liquids) and 80/232/EEC (on the ranges of nominal quantities and nominal capacities applicable to certain products).

BACKGROUND

For more information, see:

KEY TERMS

  1. Prepacked product: A product is prepacked when it is placed in a package of any nature without the purchaser being present and the quantity of product contained in the package has a predetermined value and cannot be altered without the package either being opened or undergoing a perceptible modification.

MAIN DOCUMENT

Directive 2007/45/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of laying down rules on nominal quantities for prepacked products, repealing Council Directives 75/106/EEC and 80/232/EEC, and amending Council Directive 76/211/EEC (OJ L 247, , pp. 17-20)

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