ETIRA welcomes EU and national parcel levies, calls for stronger compliance to protect Europe’s reuse industry

October 21, 2025

The European Toner & Inkjet Remanufacturers Association (ETIRA) has welcomed the European Commission’s plans to introduce a €2 flat handling fee on small parcels imported from outside the EU, alongside national initiatives such as Romania’s proposed RON 25 (€5) levy starting in November 2025. The Association says these steps mark an important move towards fairer trade and a more level playing field between European and non-EU producers.

However, ETIRA warns that while these levies will help recover lost VAT and customs revenues, they do not address the environmental loopholes that continue to undermine the EU’s circular economy goals — especially in the imaging and printing sector.

“We support the levies as a first step towards fair competition,” said ETIRA Secretary General Vincent van Dijk. “But the environmental costs of imported cartridges are far higher than €2 per parcel. The real cost of collecting and recycling these products within Europe is closer to €8 per unit. Unless importers also contribute their fair share to waste management, compliant European producers will keep paying for the waste of those who don’t.”

ETIRA argues that the EU already has the necessary legal framework to close this gap — it simply needs to be enforced. The Association is calling for customs authorities to cross-check small-parcel imports against national WEEE and EPR producer-registration databases, and to verify that non-EU manufacturers have a valid Authorised Representative (AR) established within the Union.

“The law already requires that any non-EU manufacturer placing products on the EU market has an authorised representative here, legally responsible for compliance,” van Dijk added. “If customs authorities checked that each import has a registered producer or AR before release, we’d instantly stop free-riders and hold someone accountable for non-compliance.”

Looking ahead, ETIRA welcomed the forthcoming Ecodesign for Imaging Equipment Regulationwhich will establish design and reuse requirements for printers and cartridges. The Association stressed that strong customs and compliance systems are essential to make this legislation effective.

“Ecodesign without enforcement will not deliver,” van Dijk concluded. “We urge the European Commission and Member States to coordinate customs, WEEE, and market-surveillance authorities so that only compliant, reusable products enter the EU market. The tools already exist, what’s needed now is the political will to use them. Europe’s circular economy depends on it.”