EU Packaging Regulation (PPWR): What pharma manufacturers need to prepare before 2030

With PPWR now in force, pharma packaging teams need years to redesign materials and requalify suppliers. PHARMAP 2027 in Berlin covers the pharma packaging regulation with a rare look at a leading manufacturer's filling and packaging operations on the Bayer campus.

The EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) applies directly across member states since 12 August 2026, with the first major compliance milestones due in 2030. The rules are set on paper. In practice, pharmaceutical manufacturers move more slowly than the timeline requires, as material choices, supplier qualification and packaging redesign all demand years of preparation.

The Pharmaceutical Manufacturing and Packaging Congress (PHARMAP) 2027 takes up this gap on 19-20 April in Berlin. The Congress runs with Bayer AG as Host Sponsor and in partnership with Novartis, GSK, Berlin-Chemie, ESTEVE, Recipharm and Vetter Pharma. For delegates who want to see how an industry leader approaches production and packaging in practice, the third day extends the programme beyond the venue.

On 21 April, Bayer AG hosts a visit to its campus for a limited number of PHARMAP participants. The day opens with a campus presentation and an introduction to the CoLab space, followed by a tour to the Parenteral filling department. Delegates also receive an overview of Bayer's CMO services and take a virtual excursion of large-volume liquid production and packaging. For packaging engineers, quality leads and procurement teams, the visit offers a direct view of the processes, layouts and technologies that shape compliance decisions long before they reach the regulatory checklist.

Not only the visit to Bayer’s plant, but also the sessions of the PHARMAP agenda address the regulation head-on:

• The panel discussion dedicated to packaging and sustainability balance, looks at material trade-offs between performance, viability and availability, as well as supplier risks, artwork and regulatory management, and the packaging redesign that PPWR readiness requires. Speakers include Jürgen Bodenmüller of SÜDPACK Medica AG, Charles Wigfall of Ourvita and Maja Diebig-Lorenz of INVITE GmbH.
• The session explores optimisation of packaging in pharma. It features Robin Van Landeghem of Tekni-Plex on how regulation reshapes materials, Karel van der Waarde of Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts on information about medicines for patients, and Dominic Duda, Technology Lead at Takeda Pharmaceutical International AG, on innovation in real-life pharmaceutical applications.

PHARMAP 2027 brings together pharmaceutical and packaging companies to work through the challenges shaping the industry and present the topical case-studies and strategies.

Join the future of packaging at https://sh.bgs.group/5by.