25/11/2025.- Natural Mineral Waters Europe (NMWE) has joined organisations from across the packaging value chain in signing a joint statement urging the European Commission to ensure that the forthcoming 28th Legal Regime becomes a strong instrument for simplification, harmonisation, and improved functioning of the EU Single Market.
The 28th Legal Regime aims to provide companies with a streamlined, optional framework that reduces administrative burdens and addresses the fragmentation of existing EU legislation. The joint statement emphasises that this initiative is a significant opportunity to modernise administrative procedures, particularly with regard to environmental legislation.
Key recommendations from the joint statement:
- Advancing harmonisation of procedures and requirements under different Union acts, particularly regarding registration, authorisation, and reporting obligations in environmental legislation.
- Fully operationalising the principle of mutual recognition, simplifying and accelerating cross-border administrative procedures, including those related to waste shipments and circular economy operations.
- Implementing a digital-by-default approach, ensuring interoperability and the gradual replacement of paper-based procedures with streamlined digital solutions.
- Upholding the “once-only” principle, requiring businesses to provide data only once to authorities, which should then securely share it across Member States
As one of the signatories, NMWE supports these recommendations and will continue to monitor developments as the Commission advances work on the 28th Legal Regime.
Read the statement here.