Delays in implementation of the SUP Directive – Labeling requirements enter into force as scheduled

The implementation of the Single Use Plastics, or SUP, Directive is delayed in Finland. However, the labeling requirements must be followed as of 3.7.2021.

The SUP Directive imposes sales bans and marking requirements for certain single-use plastics. The goal of the Directive is to prevent and reduce the impact of single-use plastics on the environment. In addition, the directive aims to speed up the transition to the circular economy.

EU Directives do not enter in force directly in Finland. Instead, they must be implemented by national legislation. A Directive is a guideline according to which each EU Member State must draw up a law. This also applies to the SUP Directive. In Finland, the obligations of the SUP Directive are regulated by the Waste Act and a Government decree which is based on the Waste Act.

National implementation of the SUP Directive has been delayed. The Finnish Ministry of the Environment is currently preparing the legislation. According to the Ministry of the Environment, the amendment to the Waste Act approved by Parliament in late June, will enter into force at the end of July 2021 and the Government Decree will be issued on 15 August. The regulation will therefore apply as of mid-August.

However, European Commission’s Implementing Act (EU) 2020/2151 on the labeling of certain products is directly applicable European Union legislation and will apply in Finland from 3.7.2021 onwards. In other words, the labeling requirements have come into force in Finland in the beginning of July.

You can find answers to the most frequently asked questions about the content and effects of the SUP Directive here.

More information on the national implementation of the SUP Directive is also available on the Tukes website. Tukes is the authority supervising the implementation of the SUP Directive in Finland.