I only ship a few parcels to other EU countries – is there a de-minimis threshold?
Verified on 2026-09-01 · Packaging law (PPWR)
In short
EU-wide: no – the Packaging Regulation has no de-minimis threshold; even a single delivery triggers the obligations in the destination country. Nationally, though, there is real relief: Austria has a flat-rate fee below 1,500 kg/year, in the Netherlands the 50,000 kg threshold for the Verpact contribution remains in place (SUP reporting still applies from the first kilo), Czechia even exempts the smallest volumes under 300 kg/year (plus a turnover cap) from registration entirely, and Denmark allows a simplified declaration below 8 t/year. Don't rely on blanket statements – the rules differ per country.
What to do now, concretely
- Accept the uncomfortable starting point: 'only 20 parcels a year' does not exempt you from registration and an authorised representative.
- Check per destination country whether there is small-volume relief on the fees (e.g. the Austrian flat rate) – it changes the maths considerably.
- Then do the honest sums: is the country worth it? If not, deliberately dropping individual countries is a legitimate decision – better than carrying on unregistered.
The bitter punchline from the forums: 'a single T-shirt to Bulgaria or two tins of pomade to Lithuania' is enough to be liable there. That is exactly why you should make the decision per country – with real numbers instead of gut feeling. Our checker shows you the obligations and the known small-volume rules per country, each with source and date.
Related country guides
Does this apply to you too? Check your specific situation – free.
Check your businessSources: Wortfilter: keine Bagatellgrenze, Beispiele und Länderdetails (accessed 2026-09-01) · WKO: Kleinmengenregelung (< 1.500 kg) in Österreich (accessed 2026-09-01) · Verpact: Anmeldung und Schwellen seit der PPWR (NL) (accessed 2026-09-01) · EKO-KOM: PPWR und tschechische Bagatellausnahme (§ 15a) (accessed 2026-09-01)
Legal information, not legal advice. The linked official sources prevail; data marked “draft” has not been finally verified.