“The regulation on packaging is the worst example of an ideological, anti-scientific and instrumental proposal put forward by the European Commission, under the guise of the green transition”. With these words, Luigi Scordamaglia, CEO of Filiera Italia, spoke today from the event “The European Packaging regulation: benefit or damage for the fruit or vegetable supply chain”, which was held at the Fruit Logistica fair in Berlin, organized by ProFood. (read EFA News).

“A proposal that would have negative effects from all points of view,” added Scordamaglia . “Reduction in shelf life for perishable products and consequent increase in food waste, crisis in the fourth range fruit and vegetable sector with tens of thousands of jobs at risk, and", adds the CEO, "all with an environmental impact non-negligible negative." According to the most recent studies, the transition from recycling to reuse would, in fact, lead to an 180% increase in CO2 emissions and a 240% increase in water consumption."

“A deleterious provision that primarily affects our country and the Italian companies that have invested in a sustainability path that in recent years has led Italy to become a global point of reference in innovative recyclable material and to achieve objectives in terms of recycling higher than the vast majority of other EU countries", Scordamaglia said again, underlining that the overall recycling rate of packaging in Italy was 73.3% in 2021, thus exceeding the 70% objective set for 2030 and placing our country in second place in Europe for packaging recycling per capita.

“In recent months we have explained our reasons several times", warned Scordamaglia , "but after months and months of the absence of impact studies, the imminent presentation of such a study. All this, at the end of the legislative process, represents a dangerous attack on the prerogatives of the other institutions of the European Union". Finally, the CEO concluded: “More time is needed to work on the new data and this is not compatible with the tight deadlines before the European elections. Therefore, the trilogues should cease and the matter should be referred to the new Commission."