55,000 strong! Commission update, next steps and ECA survey
Hi everyone,
I am absolutely blown away - in just one week, we have officialy surpassed 55,000 signatures! Thank you for your trust and for standing together. This is a massive milestone.
Important update: Response from the EU Commission
Yesterday, the EU Commission responded in the comment sections on Instagram and other social media that they are looking into this issue and recommending that Member States refrain from issuing fines.
While this is a step in the right direction, please keep in mind that this is only a recommendation. Because EPR compliance and enforcement are managed independently by each individual Member State, this statement is not legally binding. Local national authorities are not strictly required to follow it, so we must continue pushing until official, legally binding exemptions are formally approved.
A quick note on communication
I have received a lot of questions from those who joined later and I want to be transparent about how this works. I am one single person, not a team or an organization, I do not have the capacity to send daily e-mail updates, so I ask for your understanding.
All updates are publicly accessible to everyone - you can acces all previous ones immediately right at the top when you click on the main petition page.
For the absolute fastest, real-time news, you can also check my Instagram @decora.paperia, where I share current developments as they happen and then summarize them here later.
ECA (European Crafts Alliance) - they need data from creators & sellers
This is why I built this momentum. The European Crafts Alliance (ECA) is currently gathering information from creators and small businesses to draft lobbying documents for this autumn. They need specific operational statistics and personal stories directly from small makers and sellers to present a strong case in Brussels on behalf of small businesses.
Note: This survey is intended only for small business owners, micro-creators and sellers impacted by these regulations (not for general supporters)
Please, take a moment to fill out their official survey here:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd4UEfB0FpPbw1zetViYlj6b1PbShUNl6OC5e9NV1Ki8Rwnzg/viewform
Clearing the air regarding PETI & my strategy
A few people have asked me why I didn't go through the official PETI (EU Petitions Committee) portal. I did - before even launching this change.org petition, I submitted an official petition to the PETI portal on August 5th. This is also stated as a note directly in the main petition text from the start.
The reality is that we are in the middle of summer holidays and the EU bureaucratic process of assigning a petition number takes weeks - there is no way to speed that up. My original intention was to collect a few signatures here and then direct everyone to the official PETI portal once it went live. I never expected this movement to grow into a mass of 55,000+ people in just seven days, but I am deeply grateful that it did.
I have alway been transparent that a change.org petition is not law-binding. But I always had a plan to use this leverage to make sure our voices get heard where it matters.
Nothing is useless as long as it helps
And in case you missed it - what was in the last update
For those who joined recently and missed the previous e-mail, here are the key steps you can take right now to help the cause:
• Leave official feedback on the EU Portal:
The European Commission currently has an open public feedback page specifically about packaging waste rules and national registers for Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). Right now, there are around 1,000 responses. If thousands of us leave a comment, they cannot ignore us.
LINK TO EU FEEDBACK PORTAL:
What to write:
Briefly explain that you are a small business owner / creator / customer and that mandatory EPR registration fees and cross-border bureaucracy make it impossible for small independent businesses to sell across EU borders. Demand a de minimis exemption or a simplified One Stop Shop system for micro-entrepreneurs.
• E-mail your local Members of the European Parliament (MEPs)
Politicians respond best to voters from their own country. Finding your local MEPs takes literally 2 minutes.
Find your country's MEPs here: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/meps/en/home?hl=en-US (select your country in the filter)
How to find their e-mails:
Click on any MEP's profile - their official e-mail address is listed directly under the contacts / envelope icon ✉️ on their profile page.
Who to prioritize? Look for MEPs sitting in these committees:
- ENVI (Environment, Public Health & Food Safety)
- IMCO (Internal Market & Consumer Protection) - very important for cross-border trade!
- ITRE (Industry & Micro-enterprises)
Keep it super simple. Your e-mail doesn't need to be fancy, long or perfectly written.
Make sure to attach the link to this petition in your e-mail so they see this isn't just one individual complaining, but a growing movement of 55,000+ people who are angry about this situation.
And also don't forget to fill in the survey from ECA!
Thank you for your patience, your trust and for standing together. Keep sharing on Instagram! Stories, reels and direct messages to other creators are still generating the majority of our signatures (almost 50%!)
Jeanette Konarcikova | Decora Paperia