How Belgium splits packaging duties
Belgium does not run packaging responsibility from one national desk. EPRiBEL, the Interregional Commission for EPR and the former IVC/CIE, is the joint commission of the three regions and the Belgian authority for the packaging EPR register. Most producers meet it through a collective system rather than directly.
The commission is shared by Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels under a 2008 cooperation agreement, and a new cooperation agreement of 9 February 2026 renamed it EPRiBEL in April 2026. Two schemes sit under it, and which one you join depends on the packaging you place.
What EPRiBEL covers
Packaging placed on the Belgian market, through a dual system. Fost Plus handles household packaging and Valipac handles commercial and industrial packaging, with recycling targets set through the cooperation agreement. Belgium had no deposit-return system for drinks when the 2026 agreement was signed, and the agreement cuts the litter levy on household packaging once one has run for a full year.
Litter-cost duties for single-use plastics such as drink packaging, cigarette filters and wet wipes are being added, with obligations from 2026.
Who carries the duty
The party that first places packaged goods on the Belgian market, whether a manufacturer filling packaging, an importer or a distance seller. The 2008 agreement's take-back duty starts above 300 kg of packaging a year, but EPRiBEL says the coming Belgian law will have no minimum at all.
Declaring your packaging
- Work out whether you are the packaging responsible party in Belgium.
- Join Fost Plus for household packaging, and Valipac for commercial packaging where relevant.
- Declare your packaging volumes each year through the system, or directly to EPRiBEL if you are outside them. Fost Plus and Valipac will also register their members in the new producer register, which is still being built.
- Pay the Green Dot and Valipac contributions the systems set.
Foreign sellers and the 2026 change
If you sell to Belgian businesses, your Belgian customer is usually the producer and joins the scheme. If you sell packaged goods directly to Belgian end users from abroad, you are the producer.
Since 12 August 2026 the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation requires such a seller to appoint an authorised representative for EPR in Belgium, and EPRiBEL says the coming Belgian law will too.
Belgian packaging terms
- EPRiBEL: the Interregional Commission for EPR, called the Interregional Packaging Commission (IVC/CIE) until April 2026.
- Fost Plus: the household-packaging system.
- Valipac: the commercial and industrial packaging system.
Belgium's other register
Electronics have their own Belgian register. Producers of electrical equipment report through BeWeee. This page is the packaging register.
Frequently asked questions about EPRiBEL
Short answers to what producers ask most.
Who must register for packaging in Belgium?
The packaging producer, usually the Belgian company that fills, imports or first supplies the packaged goods. A seller abroad selling directly to Belgian end users is the producer and needs an EPR authorised representative in Belgium.
Do I deal with EPRiBEL directly?
Usually not. Most producers declare through Fost Plus or Valipac, which report into the commission and will register their members in the new producer register. Companies outside those systems deal with EPRiBEL directly.
What is the difference between Fost Plus and Valipac?
Fost Plus covers household packaging; Valipac covers commercial and industrial packaging. A producer with both kinds joins both.
Is there a minimum before I have to join?
Under the 2008 agreement the take-back duty starts above 300 kg of packaging a year. EPRiBEL says the coming Belgian law will have no minimum, only a simpler yearly declaration below 10 tonnes.