Romania

Packaging EPR in Romania

Three systems intersect for packaging in Romania: the AFM pay-or-perform model, the SGR deposit through RetuRO, and the PPWR producer register arriving in August 2026.

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Waste stream

Packaging

If your company puts packaging on an EU market (boxes, filler, labels, the bottle and its cap), you pay for its collection and recycling. One stream, 31 country registers, each with its own fees and deadlines.

Read more about packaging EPR

Where you register

AFM

Romania channels packaging, tyre, oil and single-use-plastic obligations through the Environmental Fund (AFM), where producers register as contributors and file declarations. It is a fund-and-declaration model rather than a per-producer public register.

Read more about AFM

SGR non-registration is fined 20,000-40,000 lei

If you sell non-refillable beverage containers (0.1-3 L), register in the RetuRO SGR database before placement (HG 1074/2021). Non-registration carries a fine of 20,000-40,000 lei.

Where the packaging money goes

Three systems intersect. The AFM pay-or-perform model is the base: miss your recovery target and you pay 2 lei/kg on the shortfall, or join an OIREP that handles it for you. On top sits the SGR deposit system, live since 30 November 2023. For SGR containers the packaging recovery duty is handled through the system operator RetuRO, which reports to AFM on the producer's behalf. A drinks producer does not file a separate Fund contribution on those containers (OUG 154/2024 clarified this).

Getting packaging compliant in Romania

Declare to the Fund, pick a route, and add the deposit if you sell drinks.

01

Register and declare

Register with AFM and declare the packaging you place on the Romanian market, with tonnage and recovery data each year.

02

Join an OIREP or self-fulfil

Most producers join a licensed OIREP that runs collection and recovery for a fee; the alternative is individual fulfilment.

03

Add SGR for beverages

Selling non-refillable beverage containers of 0.1 to 3 L means registering in the RetuRO SGR database before placement (HG 1074/2021).

How Romanian packaging EPR gates market access

Packaging EPR in Romania runs through the Environmental Fund (AFM) on a pay-or-perform model. Miss a recovery target and you pay 2 lei/kg on the shortfall. That contribution is not a flat licence fee. It only kicks in when you fall short.

You sell bottled sauces from Italy into Romanian supermarkets. The glass jars and cardboard cases are packaging placed on the Romanian market by your Romanian importer. That importer owes the AFM declaration, plus membership in the deposit system if the product falls under SGR.

Selling packaging into Romania

The obligation falls on whoever first places packaged goods on the Romanian market. That is usually the Romanian-established importer or the domestic producer.

Role Obligation
Domestic manufacturer Declare to AFM, join OIREP or fulfil individually
Importer Same as domestic manufacturer
Beverage producer (0.1-3 L) Also register in RetuRO SGR database
Foreign distance seller No AR under current national law (PPWR adds one from 12 August 2026)

No small-producer exemption is confirmed. No de minimis threshold applies.

How registration and reporting work in Romania

Register with AFM as a packaging producer and declare packaging quantities placed on the market. Annual declarations cover tonnage and recovery data. SIATD traceability (Ordin 1595/2020) requires tracking of packaging waste flows.

Most producers join a licensed OIREP (Organizație de Implementare a Răspunderii Extinse a Producătorului) rather than fulfilling individually. The OIREP handles collection and recovery in exchange for a scheme fee.

If you sell non-refillable beverage containers (0.1-3 L), also register in the RetuRO SGR database before placement (HG 1074/2021).

Enforcement and what changes in Romania

Enforcement is through AFM and the 2 lei/kg shortfall contribution.

The PPWR brings packaging-specific rules from 12 August 2026: a mandatory producer register, an AR mechanism for foreign sellers, and design-for-recycling requirements. Current national law does not offer an AR route for packaging, so the PPWR fills a gap.

Frequently asked questions about packaging EPR in Romania

Key questions for packaging producers.

What does packaging EPR mean in Romania?

Every producer placing packaged goods on the Romanian market must declare to AFM and meet recovery targets. Miss the target and you pay 2 lei/kg on the shortfall. Most producers join a licensed OIREP instead of fulfilling individually.

Do foreign or online sellers need an authorised representative in Romania?

Not under current national law. The PPWR (Regulation (EU) 2025/40) adds an AR route for foreign sellers from 12 August 2026.

When are packaging reports due in Romania?

Annual declarations to AFM. No specific filing deadline is published beyond the general AFM cycle. SIATD traceability reporting (Ordin 1595/2020) runs in parallel.

What changes next for packaging EPR in Romania?

The PPWR applies directly from 12 August 2026, adding a mandatory producer register, an AR route for foreign sellers, and design-for-recycling rules. Which Romanian body runs the new register has not been confirmed.

Is the deposit scheme part of packaging EPR in Romania?

The SGR deposit (live since 30 November 2023) is a separate, refundable system for non-refillable beverage containers. For those containers, the packaging recovery duty is handled through RetuRO, not billed separately by the Fund.

For the full picture of Romanian EPR obligations across all streams, see the country overview.

Sources: Legea 249/2015OUG 196/2005EXPRA Romania

Facts checked 17 July 2026

Packaging EPR beyond Romania

Sell into more markets and the same packaging rules follow you — with a different register, fee and deadline in each. We track 30 other countries for this stream.

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