Belgium
Selling packaged goods into Belgium from abroad
If you are a foreign seller, packaging EPR in Belgium holds a surprise. Unlike electronics and batteries, the packaging rules do not require you to appoint an authorised representative. The official pages are silent on it.
Instead the duty is role-based and attaches to the Belgian-side party who imports the packaging. So the question is less "who represents me" and more "who counts as the Belgian importer".
The system itself is interregional. Packaging is governed by the Interregional Packaging Commission (IVC/CIE) under the Cooperation Agreement of 4 November 2008, and it splits into a dual scheme, Fost Plus for household packaging and Valipac for commercial and industrial packaging.
Registering with Fost Plus or Valipac in Belgium
You register with the scheme that matches your packaging, not with a single desk. Fost Plus members register the company online, sign the contract and declare through the MyFost portal. Valipac clients request membership by phone or email, then file the annual declaration.
Companies handling their own take-back, or only certain packaging, declare directly to the IVC/CIE register as a fallback.
Cost sits with the scheme. Fost Plus uses an eco-modulated Green Dot tariff in euros per kilogram per material, where harder-to-recycle and obstructive packaging pays more, with a minimum annual contribution of €100 (or €250 for obstructive or household-hazardous packaging).
Valipac charges per tonne by recyclability, with a €50 minimum.
The exact per-material and per-tonne rates change year to year, so treat the current tables as the source rather than any fixed figure.
What and when you report in Belgium
Reporting is annual across all three routes, covering the quantity, type and recycling rate of the packaging you placed on the market. There is no quarterly filing.
| Route | Who uses it | Annual deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Fost Plus | Household packaging | 28 February |
| Valipac | Commercial and industrial packaging | 28 February |
| IVC/CIE direct | Self-organised take-back or fallback | Filed to IVC/CIE |
The hard date to hold is 28 February of the year after the reporting year, for both the Fost Plus and Valipac declarations.
What happens if you skip it in Belgium
Enforcement has real teeth. IVC/CIE runs the penalty regime under the 2008 Cooperation Agreement, and Fost Plus adds its own late-declaration fine.
Two things are moving. A €0.25 deposit-return system on single-use beverage packaging is decided in principle (a digital system in Flanders) but has no confirmed go-live date, and Fost Plus has taken the new litter-cost rules to the Constitutional Court.
The PPWR is also phasing in EU-wide, but the wider EPR in Belgium and packaging parent pages carry that detail.
Frequently asked questions about packaging EPR in Belgium
The questions producers raise most, answered short.
What does packaging EPR mean in Belgium?
It makes whoever places packaging on the Belgian market pay for its collection and recycling, through a dual system. Household packaging goes through Fost Plus, commercial and industrial packaging through Valipac, with IVC/CIE as the interregional authority and fallback.
Who has to register for packaging EPR in Belgium?
Companies placing more than 300 kg of household and commercial packaging on the Belgian market per year. At or below 300 kg you are outside the obligation.
How much does packaging EPR cost in Belgium?
Fost Plus charges an eco-modulated Green Dot rate per kilogram by material, minimum €100 (€250 for obstructive packaging). Valipac charges per tonne by recyclability, minimum €50. The exact rates are published yearly, so use the current tables.
When are packaging reports due in Belgium?
By 28 February of the year after the reporting year, for both the Fost Plus and Valipac annual declarations.
Is the deposit scheme part of packaging EPR in Belgium?
Not yet. A €0.25 deposit-return system on single-use beverage packaging is decided in principle, digital in Flanders, but has no confirmed go-live date, and it would sit alongside packaging EPR rather than replace it.
